BLS metro-level wage data places Physicists pay in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN at a median of $236,920 per year ($113.90/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $172,250, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays +38% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both.

The Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pay distribution spans from $64,900 at the 10th percentile to $268,270 at the 90th — a 4.1× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $236,920 and the 75th at $236,920, so half of Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin-based physicistss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide TN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.