Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Las Cruces, NM is $112,400/year ($54.04/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $169K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $124,598 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,042/month, or 14.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $112K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). 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 Las Cruces
Pay for physicists in Las Cruces runs about 35% below the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,042/month, 15.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Las Cruces 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 Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $165K | $173K |
| Boulder | $105K | , |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $200K | $203K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $107K | $109K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $112K. Top earners bring in $169K or more, a $95K 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 Las Cruces numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
Yes — at the median salary of $112K, rent takes 15.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,435/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Las Cruces?
Local pay runs 35% below the national median — $112K here vs. $172K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for physicists?
Las Cruces pays $112K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $125K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $112,400 a year, that works out to about $54 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $73,920, and experienced physicists can clear $168,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $112K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,912/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 15.1% 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 Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 $124,598 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.