BLS metro-level wage data places Physicists pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at a median of $171,580 per year ($82.49/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $172,250, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays same as, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,520 physicistss are employed across the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA in SOC 19-2012.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pay distribution spans from $98,950 at the 10th percentile to $225,680 at the 90th — a 2.3× 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 $134,990 and the 75th at $195,190, so half of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria-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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 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 DC data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.