Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $178,110/year ($85.63/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $91K at the entry level to $293K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $194,231 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,318/month, or 12.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $178K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Physicists pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $178K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,318/month, 12.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $137K | $132K |
| Madison | $136K | $140K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $168K | $161K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $173K | $179K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $91K. Mid-career wages sit at $178K. Top earners bring in $293K or more, a $202K 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Yes — at the median salary of $178K, rent takes 12.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $91K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,464/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $178K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for physicists?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $178K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $194K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physicists make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $178,110 a year, that works out to about $86 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $91,070, and experienced physicists can clear $292,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $178K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,241/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 12.9% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $194,231 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.