Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Memphis, TN-MS-AR is $139,810/year ($67.22/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $259K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $151,671 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,274/month, or 14.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $140K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). 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 Memphis
Pay for physicists in Memphis runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,274/month, 14.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Memphis 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 Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $237K | $246K |
| Knoxville | $165K | $178K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $111K | $113K |
| Huntsville | $150K | $161K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $140K. Top earners bring in $259K or more, a $193K 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 Memphis numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Memphis?
Yes — at the median salary of $140K, rent takes 14.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,929/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 32% 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 Memphis?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $140K here vs. $172K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for physicists?
Memphis pays $140K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $152K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $139,810 a year, that works out to about $67 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,480, and experienced physicists can clear $258,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $140K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,860/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 14.4% 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 Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (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 $151,671 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.