Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Kansas City, MO-KS is $141,200/year ($67.88/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $96K at the entry level to $271K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.54), which stretches that salary to about $152,583 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,358/month, or 15.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $141K get you in Kansas City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kansas City’s Regional Price Parity (92.54). 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 Kansas City
Pay for physicists in Kansas City runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,358/month, 16.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Kansas City 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 Kansas City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $140K | $152K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $237K | $246K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $137K | $132K |
| Knoxville | $165K | $178K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas City, MO-KS
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $96K. Mid-career wages sit at $141K. Top earners bring in $271K or more, a $174K 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
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 Kansas City numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kansas City?
Yes — at the median salary of $141K, rent takes 16.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,358/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Kansas City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $96K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,767/month. At HUD’s $1,358/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Kansas City?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $141K here vs. $172K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kansas City compare to the national average for physicists?
Kansas City pays $141K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $153K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Kansas City, MO-KS?
The median is $141,200 a year, that works out to about $68 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $96,120, and experienced physicists can clear $270,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $141K enough to live in Kansas City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,442/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,358/month, which eats 16.1% 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 Kansas City?
Kansas City has a Regional Price Parity of 92.54 (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 $152,583 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.