Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI is $199,170/year ($95.76/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $72K at the entry level to $297K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.3), that's roughly $198,574 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,411/month, or 12% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $199K get you in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Detroit-Warren-Dearborn’s Regional Price Parity (100.3). 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn sits well above the national pay line for physicists, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,411/month, 12.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.3) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn offers a genuinely strong financial position for physicistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing | $72K | $75K |
| Ann Arbor | $64K | $64K |
| Cleveland | $239K | $255K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $151K | $163K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $72K. Mid-career wages sit at $199K. Top earners bring in $297K or more, a $225K 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Yes — at the median salary of $199K, rent takes 12.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,411/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $72K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,300/month. At HUD’s $1,411/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $199K here vs. $172K nationally.
How does Detroit-Warren-Dearborn compare to the national average for physicists?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays $199K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $199K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physicists make in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The median is $199,170 a year, that works out to about $96 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $71,670, and experienced physicists can clear $296,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $199K enough to live in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,654/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,411/month, which eats 12.1% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn has a Regional Price Parity of 100.3 (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 $198,574 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.