Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Charlottesville, VA is $148,950/year ($71.61/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $87K at the entry level to $230K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.15), that's roughly $150,227 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,824/month, or 20.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $149K get you in Charlottesville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlottesville’s Regional Price Parity (99.15). 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 Charlottesville
Pay for physicists in Charlottesville runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,824/month, 20.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 99.15) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Charlottesville can be a reasonable trade-off for physicistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Charlottesville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $111K | $113K |
| Richmond | $218K | $223K |
| Memphis | $140K | $152K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $237K | $246K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlottesville, VA
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $87K. Mid-career wages sit at $149K. Top earners bring in $230K or more, a $143K 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 Charlottesville numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlottesville?
Yes — at the median salary of $149K, rent takes 20.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,824/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Charlottesville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $87K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,215/month. At HUD’s $1,824/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Charlottesville?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $149K here vs. $172K nationally.
How does Charlottesville compare to the national average for physicists?
Charlottesville pays $149K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.15), the purchasing-power equivalent is $150K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Charlottesville, VA?
The median is $148,950 a year, that works out to about $72 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $86,920, and experienced physicists can clear $229,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $149K enough to live in Charlottesville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,709/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,824/month, which eats 20.9% 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 Charlottesville?
Charlottesville has a Regional Price Parity of 99.15 (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 $150,227 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.