Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 19-2012

Physicists

The published band from $82,110 to $274,110 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Physicists: Industrial-Organizational Psychologists ($194K) , Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($99K) , Materials Scientists ($118K) , Geographers ($102K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Physicists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-2012 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers
  2. 2. Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena
  3. 3. Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms
  4. 4. Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood
  5. 5. Write research proposals to receive funding
  6. 6. Teach physics to students
  7. 7. Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences
  8. 8. Observe the structure and properties of matter, and the transformation and propagation of energy, using equipment such as masers, lasers…
  9. 9. Develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and apply these theories and laws to problems in areas such as nuc…
  10. 10. Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentat…

Physicists: O*NET ranks Science first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-2012 - lead skill Science at 4.6 ; lead knowledge Physics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Science 4.6
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 4.3
  3. 3. Mathematics 4.3
  4. 4. Speaking 4.1
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 4.1
  6. 6. Active Listening 4.0
  7. 7. Writing 4.0
  8. 8. Active Learning 4.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Physics 4.9
  2. 2. Mathematics 4.8
  3. 3. Engineering and Technology 4.5
  4. 4. Computers and Electronics 4.4
  5. 5. English Language 3.7
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.4
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$82,110 to $274,110
median $172,250 · ~3.3× spread
$172K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
1,700
Annual openings
20,430
Estimated US jobs
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
Highest-pay peer · $194K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Doctoral or professional degree

Top Paying States for Physicists

1. Pennsylvania $210,990
2. New York $181,970
3. Texas $184,040
4. Florida $225,390
5. Oregon $200,320
6. California $207,490
7. New Hampshire $214,030
8. Kentucky $180,910
9. Oklahoma $200,050
10. Connecticut $180,300

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Materials Scientists $117,790
  2. 2. Atmospheric and Space Scientists $99,070
  3. 3. Geographers $102,040
  4. 4. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists $193,950
  5. 5. Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $101,110
  6. 6. Political Scientists $142,080

The OEWS band for Physicists runs from $82,110 (10th) to $274,110 (90th), about 3.3× wide, with median $172,250. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Pennsylvania at $210,990. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Industrial-Organizational Psychologists at $193,950. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Physicists pay-rank #2 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Among 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations with a published OEWS median, Physicists is pay-rank #2, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Physicists is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Physicists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-2012

Pennsylvania · top state for Physicists

$211K published median

New York · #2 state pay

$182K · behind Pennsylvania

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Highest-pay peer vs Physicists · $194K

Atmospheric and Space Scientists

Lower-pay peer beside Physicists · $99K

Compare Physicists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Physicists with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles sit near Physicists at the top of the pay table? ▼
Physicists is pay-rank #2 of 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Industrial-Organizational Psychologists ($194K), Political Scientists ($142K), Astronomers ($129K), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($127K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do physicists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Physicists. Leading ones include: Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers; Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena; Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms; Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for physicists? ▼
For SOC 19-2012, O*NET importance scores lead with Science (4.6), Reading Comprehension (4.3), Mathematics (4.3), Speaking (4.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Physics, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Physicists? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $82,110 and the 90th at $274,110 for Physicists (3.3× spread). The national median is $172,250. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Physicists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Physicists is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 1,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Physicists? ▼
BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Physicists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Physicists? ▼
Pennsylvania ($210,990), New York ($181,970), Texas ($184,040) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Physicists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-2012. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Physicists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics