Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN is $236,920/year ($113.9/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $268K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $245,921 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,730/month, or 11.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $237K get you in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin sits well above the national pay line for physicists, local pay runs about 38% higher than the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,730/month, 11.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin offers a genuinely strong financial position for physicistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $140K | $152K |
| 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, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $237K. Top earners bring in $268K or more, a $203K 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Yes — at the median salary of $237K, rent takes 11.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,894/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Local pay is 38% above the national median — $237K here vs. $172K nationally.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for physicists?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $237K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s +38%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $246K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physicists make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $236,920 a year, that works out to about $114 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,900, and experienced physicists can clear $268,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $237K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $14,513/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 11.9% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (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 $245,921 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.