Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY is $159,240/year ($76.56/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $121K at the entry level to $251K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.57), that's roughly $159,928 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,702/month, or 18.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $159K get you in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Albany-Schenectady-Troy’s Regional Price Parity (99.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About physicists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Physicists pay in Albany-Schenectady-Troy tracks closely to the national median, $159K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 8% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,702/month, 18.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 99.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Albany-Schenectady-Troy, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $182K | $162K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $175K | $183K |
| Trenton-Princeton | $135K | $131K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $106K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $121K. Mid-career wages sit at $159K. Top earners bring in $251K or more, a $130K spread from bottom to top.
Physicists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physicists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $225K | +31% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $214K | +24% | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $211K | +22% | 230 |
| California | $207K | +20% | 5,930 |
| Oregon | $200K | +16% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $200K | +16% | 40 |
| Texas | $184K | +7% | 580 |
| New York | $182K | +6% | 1,140 |
| Kentucky | $181K | +5% | 50 |
| Connecticut | $180K | +5% | 60 |
| Iowa | $178K | +3% | 110 |
| Maryland | $174K | +1% | 1,200 |
| North Carolina | $174K | +1% | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $173K | +1% | 180 |
| Minnesota | $171K | -1% | 110 |
| Louisiana | $166K | -3% | 40 |
| New Mexico | $165K | -4% | 580 |
| Tennessee | $165K | -4% | 240 |
| New Jersey | $163K | -5% | 470 |
| Ohio | $163K | -5% | 630 |
| District of Columbia | $157K | -9% | 480 |
| Utah | $157K | -9% | 30 |
| Rhode Island | $155K | -10% | N/A |
| Nevada | $154K | -11% | 50 |
| Virginia | $145K | -16% | 940 |
| Georgia | $145K | -16% | 160 |
| Missouri | $140K | -18% | 90 |
| Alabama | $139K | -19% | 280 |
| South Carolina | $138K | -20% | 420 |
| Illinois | $137K | -20% | 1,590 |
| Arkansas | $136K | -21% | 60 |
| Idaho | $135K | -22% | N/A |
| Washington | $135K | -22% | 450 |
| Arizona | $131K | -24% | 120 |
| Mississippi | $130K | -25% | 80 |
| Hawaii | $117K | -32% | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $106K | -38% | 1,150 |
| Indiana | $106K | -38% | 230 |
| Colorado | $105K | -39% | 1,050 |
| Montana | $104K | -40% | 30 |
| Michigan | $95K | -45% | 510 |
| South Dakota | $83K | -52% | 30 |
| Delaware | $83K | -52% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track physicists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Albany-Schenectady-Troy numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Yes — at the median salary of $159K, rent takes 18.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,702/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $121K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,274/month. At HUD’s $1,702/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $159K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Albany-Schenectady-Troy compare to the national average for physicists?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy pays $159K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $160K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?
The median is $159,240 a year, that works out to about $77 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $121,240, and experienced physicists can clear $250,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $159K enough to live in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,257/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,702/month, which eats 18.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a physicists salary go in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy has a Regional Price Parity of 99.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physicists salary is worth about $159,928 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physicists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.