Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is $106,000/year ($50.96/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $213K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $97,903 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 43.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $106K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). 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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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Pay for physicists in Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs about 38% below the U.S. median of $172K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 45.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for physicistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester | $154K | $150K |
| Providence-Warwick | $155K | $152K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $182K | $162K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $159K | $160K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $106K. Top earners bring in $213K or more, a $131K 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $106K, rent takes 45.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,923/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Local pay runs 38% below the national median — $106K here vs. $172K nationally.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for physicists?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $106K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -38%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $106,000 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,050, and experienced physicists can clear $213,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $106K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,471/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 45.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a physicists salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physicists salary is worth about $97,903 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.