Physicists Salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
The median pay for a physicists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX is $129,380/year ($62.2/hour), per BLS data. Entry-level positions start around $72K. BLS does not publish top-end wages for this occupation because they exceed the reportable ceiling. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.07), that's roughly $131,926 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,852/month, or 22.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $129K get you in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos’s Regional Price Parity (98.07). 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
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $72K. Mid-career wages sit at $129K. Top earners bring in N/A or more.
Physicists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $223K | +34% | 60 |
| Florida | $209K | +26% | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $208K | +25% | 540 |
| Arizona | $191K | +15% | 70 |
| Oregon | $184K | +11% | 120 |
| California | $181K | +9% | 6,220 |
| Missouri | $180K | +9% | 90 |
| New Hampshire | $179K | +8% | 30 |
| New Mexico | $176K | +6% | 770 |
| New York | $174K | +5% | 1,190 |
| Wisconsin | $174K | +5% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $174K | +4% | 260 |
| Connecticut | $172K | +3% | 70 |
| North Carolina | $171K | +3% | 170 |
| Texas | $170K | +3% | 700 |
| Kentucky | $169K | +1% | 30 |
| New Jersey | $169K | +1% | 320 |
| Virginia | $164K | -1% | 1,260 |
| Maryland | $164K | -1% | 1,420 |
| Massachusetts | $154K | -7% | 570 |
| District of Columbia | $153K | -8% | 570 |
| Ohio | $136K | -18% | 710 |
| Utah | $134K | -19% | 60 |
| Idaho | $132K | -21% | 170 |
| Arkansas | $132K | -21% | 80 |
| Georgia | $132K | -21% | 190 |
| Illinois | $131K | -21% | 1,660 |
| South Carolina | $131K | -21% | 370 |
| Iowa | $121K | -27% | 120 |
| Mississippi | $121K | -27% | 70 |
| Washington | $120K | -28% | 430 |
| Nevada | $116K | -30% | N/A |
| Alabama | $115K | -31% | 360 |
| Maine | $115K | -31% | N/A |
| Indiana | $110K | -34% | 160 |
| Michigan | $108K | -35% | 550 |
| Oklahoma | $85K | -49% | 40 |
| Delaware | $83K | -50% | 40 |
| South Dakota | $78K | -53% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 39 states
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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
How much do physicists make in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?
The median is $129,380 a year, that works out to about $62 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $71,650, and experienced physicists can clear N/A. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $129K enough to live in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,265/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,852/month, which eats 22.4% 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a Regional Price Parity of 98.07 (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 $131,926 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.