Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is $156,750/year ($75.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $75K at the entry level to $290K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $152,052 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,931/month, or 19.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $157K get you in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Physicists pay in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington tracks closely to the national median, $157K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 9% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,931/month, 19.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $200K | $203K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $107K | $109K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $194K | $205K |
| Albuquerque | $165K | $173K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $75K. Mid-career wages sit at $157K. Top earners bring in $290K or more, a $215K 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Yes — at the median salary of $157K, rent takes 19.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $75K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,514/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $157K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for physicists?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $157K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $152K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $156,750 a year, that works out to about $75 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $75,230, and experienced physicists can clear $290,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $157K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,824/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 19.7% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (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 $152,052 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.