Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Mississippi is $129,970/year ($62.49/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $219K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.9), which stretches that salary to about $146,198 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,077/month, or 13.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Mississippi. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $130K get you in Mississippi?
About physicists
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What this looks like in Mississippi
Pay for physicists in Mississippi runs about 25% below the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,077/month, 13.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Mississippi can be a reasonable trade-off for physicistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Mississippi
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $130K. Top earners bring in $219K or more, a $154K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track physicists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Mississippi numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Mississippi?
Yes — at the median salary of $130K, rent takes 13.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Mississippi?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,899/month. At HUD’s $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Mississippi?
Local pay runs 25% below the national median — $130K here vs. $172K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Mississippi compare to the national average for physicists?
Mississippi pays $130K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $146K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Mississippi?
The median is $129,970 a year, that works out to about $62 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,980, and experienced physicists can clear $219,440. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $130K enough to live in Mississippi?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,790/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 13.8% 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 Mississippi?
Mississippi has a Regional Price Parity of 88.9 (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 $146,198 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.