19 Series · SOC 19-2012
Physicists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $172,250
- Median / year
- $274,110
- Top 10% earn
- +4%
- Growth '23–'33
- 20,430
- US workers
Physicists professionals earn a median $172,250/year ($82.81/hr) nationally. The salary ranges from $82,110 (10th percentile) to $274,110 (90th percentile). Employment is projected to grow4% from 2023 to 2033, faster than average. The highest-paying state is Florida at $225,390. Approximately 20,430 people work in this role across the U.S. Entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree. Workplace safety grade: A (Very Safe).
Physicists (SOC 19-2012) pays a national median of $172,250 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $82,110 at the 10th percentile to $274,110 at the 90th, with a mean of $171,180 indicating a compressed distribution clustered near the median. An estimated 20,430 Americans work in this occupation across 43 reporting states and 63 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4% change in employment from 2023 to 2033, which the agency classifies as faster than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Doctoral or professional degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 1.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.7 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Florida pays the highest state median at $225,390, which is +31% above the national figure. The top metro is Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL at $272,480 — metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand.
Median Salary
$172,250
per year
Median Hourly
$82.81/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$171,180
average
Employment
20,430
jobs nationwide
Bar fills relative to a $200K reference ceiling. Marker shows the all-occupations US median for context — anything to the right of it earns above the typical American worker.
Job Outlook (2023–2033)
Projected Growth
+4%
Faster than average
Annual Openings
1,700
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2023–2033
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Physicists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Write research proposals to receive funding.
- ▸ Teach physics to students.
- ▸ Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.
- ▸ Observe the structure and properties of matter, and the transformation and propagation of energy, using equipment such as masers, lasers, and telescopes, to explore and identify the basic principles governing these phenomena.
- ▸ Develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and apply these theories and laws to problems in areas such as nuclear energy, optics, and aerospace technology.
- ▸ Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentation, and procedures.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$82,110
25th Percentile
$111,720
Median
$172,250
75th Percentile
$222,760
90th Percentile
$274,110
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 43 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | $225,390 | +31% above national |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $214,030 | +24% above national |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $210,990 | +22% above national |
| 4 | California | $207,490 | +20% above national |
| 5 | Oregon | $200,320 | +16% above national |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $200,050 | +16% above national |
| 7 | Texas | $184,040 | +7% above national |
| 8 | New York | $181,970 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Kentucky | $180,910 | +5% above national |
| 10 | Connecticut | $180,300 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Iowa | $178,110 | +3% above national |
| 12 | Maryland | $174,390 | +1% above national |
| 13 | North Carolina | $174,180 | +1% above national |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $173,120 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Minnesota | $171,220 | 1% below national |
| 16 | Louisiana | $166,240 | 3% below national |
| 17 | New Mexico | $165,340 | 4% below national |
| 18 | Tennessee | $165,010 | 4% below national |
| 19 | New Jersey | $163,270 | 5% below national |
| 20 | Ohio | $162,900 | 5% below national |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $157,040 | 9% below national |
| 22 | Utah | $156,760 | 9% below national |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $155,150 | 10% below national |
| 24 | Nevada | $154,030 | 11% below national |
| 25 | Virginia | $145,040 | 16% below national |
| 26 | Georgia | $144,870 | 16% below national |
| 27 | Missouri | $140,460 | 18% below national |
| 28 | Alabama | $139,330 | 19% below national |
| 29 | South Carolina | $138,400 | 20% below national |
| 30 | Illinois | $137,140 | 20% below national |
| 31 | Arkansas | $135,820 | 21% below national |
| 32 | Idaho | $135,150 | 22% below national |
| 33 | Washington | $134,790 | 22% below national |
| 34 | Arizona | $130,500 | 24% below national |
| 35 | Mississippi | $129,970 | 25% below national |
| 36 | Hawaii | $117,190 | 32% below national |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $106,410 | 38% below national |
| 38 | Indiana | $105,940 | 38% below national |
| 39 | Colorado | $104,580 | 39% below national |
| 40 | Montana | $103,800 | 40% below national |
| 41 | Michigan | $94,520 | 45% below national |
| 42 | South Dakota | $83,050 | 52% below national |
| 43 | Delaware | $82,590 | 52% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 63 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $272,480 | +58% above national |
| 2 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $266,260 | +55% above national |
| 3 | Cleveland, OH | $239,360 | +39% above national |
| 4 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $236,920 | +38% above national |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | $224,160 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Richmond, VA | $218,290 | +27% above national |
| 7 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $199,770 | +16% above national |
| 8 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $199,170 | +16% above national |
| 9 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $194,290 | +13% above national |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $181,970 | +6% above national |
| 11 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $178,110 | +3% above national |
| 12 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $175,060 | +2% above national |
| 13 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $173,450 | +1% above national |
| 14 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $173,160 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $172,080 | same as national |
| 16 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $171,580 | same as national |
| 17 | Tucson, AZ | $171,190 | 1% below national |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $170,400 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $168,450 | 2% below national |
| 20 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $166,140 | 4% below national |
| 21 | Albuquerque, NM | $165,340 | 4% below national |
| 22 | Knoxville, TN | $165,010 | 4% below national |
| 23 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $164,850 | 4% below national |
| 24 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $163,990 | 5% below national |
| 25 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $163,210 | 5% below national |
| 26 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $160,270 | 7% below national |
| 27 | Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $160,090 | 7% below national |
| 28 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $159,240 | 8% below national |
| 29 | Colorado Springs, CO | $158,070 | 8% below national |
| 30 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $156,750 | 9% below national |
| 31 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $156,480 | 9% below national |
| 32 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $155,150 | 10% below national |
| 33 | Worcester, MA | $153,990 | 11% below national |
| 34 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $151,050 | 12% below national |
| 35 | Huntsville, AL | $149,990 | 13% below national |
| 36 | Charlottesville, VA | $148,950 | 14% below national |
| 37 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $146,350 | 15% below national |
| 38 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $144,870 | 16% below national |
| 39 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $142,180 | 17% below national |
| 40 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $141,200 | 18% below national |
| 41 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $140,370 | 19% below national |
| 42 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $139,810 | 19% below national |
| 43 | Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $138,740 | 19% below national |
| 44 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $137,140 | 20% below national |
| 45 | Madison, WI | $136,450 | 21% below national |
| 46 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $135,260 | 21% below national |
| 47 | Idaho Falls, ID | $135,150 | 22% below national |
| 48 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $135,030 | 22% below national |
| 49 | Lexington Park, MD | $132,770 | 23% below national |
| 50 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $130,500 | 24% below national |
| 51 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $128,040 | 26% below national |
| 52 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $120,490 | 30% below national |
| 53 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $117,190 | 32% below national |
| 54 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $117,170 | 32% below national |
| 55 | Las Cruces, NM | $112,400 | 35% below national |
| 56 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $110,930 | 36% below national |
| 57 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $107,340 | 38% below national |
| 58 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $106,000 | 38% below national |
| 59 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $105,940 | 38% below national |
| 60 | Boulder, CO | $104,580 | 39% below national |
| 61 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $71,580 | 58% below national |
| 62 | Ann Arbor, MI | $64,380 | 63% below national |
| 63 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $57,780 | 66% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 19 (life physical and social science) with comparable pay and career paths.
Salary Guides
Primary source data
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Physicists make? ▼
What state pays Physicists the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Physicists? ▼
How dangerous is being a Physicists? ▼
Is Physicists a good career? ▼
How does Physicists pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Physicists? ▼
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.