Physicist Salary in the U.S.
Median annual pay in the U.S.
$172,250
$82.81/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $82,110 | $39.48 |
| 25th percentile | $111,720 | $53.71 |
| Median | $172,250 | $82.81 |
| 75th percentile | $222,760 | $107.10 |
| 90th percentile | $274,110 | $131.79 |
Employment
- Employment in the U.S.
- 20,430
Advertisements
Comparison
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | ||
| 1st | $225,390 | $217,949 2nd |
| New Hampshire | ||
| 2nd | $214,030 | $205,472 4th |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| 3rd | $210,990 | $216,240 3rd |
| California | ||
| 4th | $207,490 | $187,401 10th |
| Oregon | ||
| 5th | $200,320 | $193,806 7th |
| Oklahoma | ||
| 6th | $200,050 | $227,736 1st |
| Texas | ||
| 7th | $184,040 | $189,621 8th |
| New York | ||
| 8th | $181,970 | $168,614 18th |
| Kentucky | ||
| 9th | $180,910 | $200,657 6th |
| Connecticut | ||
| 10th | $180,300 | $174,018 16th |
| Iowa | ||
| 11th | $178,110 | $202,947 5th |
| Maryland | ||
| 12th | $174,390 | $166,151 19th |
| North Carolina | ||
| 13th | $174,180 | $184,657 11th |
| Wisconsin | ||
| 14th | $173,120 | $183,984 12th |
| Minnesota | ||
| 15th | $171,220 | $173,614 17th |
| Louisiana | ||
| 16th | $166,240 | $188,466 9th |
| New Mexico | ||
| 17th | $165,340 | $179,304 14th |
| Tennessee | ||
| 18th | $165,010 | $179,612 13th |
| New Jersey | ||
| 19th | $163,270 | $150,057 27th |
| Ohio | ||
| 20th | $162,900 | $175,588 15th |
| District of Columbia | ||
| 21st | $157,040 | $142,892 31st |
| Utah | ||
| 22nd | $156,760 | $158,561 20th |
| Rhode Island | ||
| 23rd | $155,150 | $151,691 25th |
| Nevada | ||
| 24th | $154,030 | $154,062 24th |
| Virginia | ||
| 25th | $145,040 | $143,456 30th |
| Georgia | ||
| 26th | $144,870 | $150,447 26th |
| Missouri | ||
| 27th | $140,460 | $154,663 23rd |
| Alabama | ||
| 28th | $139,330 | $156,863 21st |
| South Carolina | ||
| 29th | $138,400 | $147,628 29th |
| Illinois | ||
| 30th | $137,140 | $137,198 33rd |
| Arkansas | ||
| 31st | $135,820 | $156,228 22nd |
| Idaho | ||
| 32nd | $135,150 | $141,527 32nd |
| Washington | ||
| 33rd | $134,790 | $125,957 35th |
| Arizona | ||
| 34th | $130,500 | $129,622 34th |
| Mississippi | ||
| 35th | $129,970 | $149,472 28th |
| Hawaii | ||
| 36th | $117,190 | $106,584 38th |
| Massachusetts | ||
| 37th | $106,410 | $100,617 40th |
| Indiana | ||
| 38th | $105,940 | $113,512 36th |
| Colorado | ||
| 39th | $104,580 | $101,483 39th |
| Montana | ||
| 40th | $103,800 | $109,673 37th |
| Michigan | ||
| 41st | $94,520 | $98,236 41st |
| South Dakota | ||
| 42nd | $83,050 | $93,751 42nd |
| Delaware | ||
| 43rd | $82,590 | $82,749 43rd |
Advertisements
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Mathematician salary in the U.S.
$126,710/year U.S.
- Astronomer salary in the U.S.
$128,820/year U.S.
- Data Scientist salary in the U.S.
$120,230/year U.S.
- Biochemist and Biophysicist salary in the U.S.
$127,410/year U.S.
- Chemist salary in the U.S.
$91,240/year U.S.
- Engineers, All Other salary in the U.S.
$122,930/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +7.2%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Doctoral or professional degree
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Last updated