Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is $160,270/year ($77.05/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $88K at the entry level to $276K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $141,120 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,601/month, or 27.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $160K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Physicists pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim tracks closely to the national median, $160K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $2,601/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $164K | $154K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $173K | $157K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $156K | $140K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $120K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $88K. Mid-career wages sit at $160K. Top earners bring in $276K or more, a $188K 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Yes — at the median salary of $160K, rent takes 28.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $88K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,280/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $160K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for physicists?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $160K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $141K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $160,270 a year, that works out to about $77 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $88,000, and experienced physicists can clear $275,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $160K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,105/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 28.6% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (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 $141,120 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.