Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL is $272,480/year ($131/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $191K at the entry level to $312K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $238,683 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,436/month, or 14.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $272K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach sits well above the national pay line for physicists, local pay runs about 58% higher than the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $2,436/month, 14.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 114.16), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach offers a genuinely strong financial position for physicistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $266K | $264K |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $146K | $146K |
| Huntsville | $150K | $161K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $145K | $145K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $191K. Mid-career wages sit at $272K. Top earners bring in $312K or more, a $122K 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Yes — at the median salary of $272K, rent takes 14.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $191K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $11,441/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 21% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Local pay is 58% above the national median — $272K here vs. $172K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for physicists?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $272K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s +58%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $239K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physicists make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $272,480 a year, that works out to about $131 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $190,690, and experienced physicists can clear $312,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $272K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $16,441/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 14.8% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (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 $238,683 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.