Physicists Salary by State and Metro Area
Physicists in the United States earn a median salary of $172,250/year ($82.81/hr). Salaries range from $82,110 to $274,110 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across 43 states and 30 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
$82K
10th percentile
$112K
25th percentile
$172K
Median
$223K
75th percentile
$274K
90th percentile
Where Physicists have the most money left over after rent
Median pay minus estimated federal + state + FICA taxes, minus 12 months of rent at HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. Darker green means more money left over each year. Hover any state for the breakdown.
View map data as a table
| State | Median (nominal) | Rent/mo (2BR) | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $225K | $1,658 | $147K |
| New Hampshire | $214K | $1,528 | $141K |
| Pennsylvania | $211K | $1,351 | $134K |
| Oklahoma | $200K | $1,081 | $127K |
| Texas | $184K | $1,415 | $120K |
| Kentucky | $181K | $1,110 | $114K |
| Oregon | $200K | $1,555 | $113K |
| Iowa | $178K | $1,064 | $110K |
| Tennessee | $165K | $1,215 | $109K |
| California | $207K | $2,471 | $109K |
| North Carolina | $174K | $1,284 | $107K |
| Wisconsin | $173K | $1,202 | $107K |
| Louisiana | $166K | $1,191 | $104K |
| Ohio | $163K | $1,188 | $104K |
| Connecticut | $180K | $1,679 | $104K |
| New Mexico | $165K | $1,119 | $103K |
| New York | $182K | $1,917 | $103K |
| Maryland | $174K | $1,795 | $100K |
| Minnesota | $171K | $1,384 | $100K |
| Nevada | $154K | $1,501 | $98K |
| Utah | $157K | $1,350 | $94K |
| Rhode Island | $155K | $1,544 | $92K |
| New Jersey | $163K | $2,067 | $89K |
| Missouri | $140K | $1,097 | $88K |
| Alabama | $139K | $1,085 | $86K |
| Arkansas | $136K | $1,021 | $86K |
| Georgia | $145K | $1,434 | $85K |
| Idaho | $135K | $1,136 | $83K |
| South Carolina | $138K | $1,263 | $83K |
| District of Columbia | $157K | $2,146 | $82K |
| Virginia | $145K | $1,646 | $82K |
| Illinois | $137K | $1,407 | $81K |
| Mississippi | $130K | $1,077 | $81K |
| Washington | $135K | $1,830 | $81K |
| Arizona | $131K | $1,437 | $79K |
| Indiana | $106K | $1,144 | $66K |
| Montana | $104K | $1,129 | $63K |
| Michigan | $95K | $1,272 | $56K |
| Hawaii | $117K | $2,240 | $55K |
| South Dakota | $83K | $1,017 | $55K |
| Colorado | $105K | $1,832 | $55K |
| Massachusetts | $106K | $2,347 | $50K |
| Delaware | $83K | $1,448 | $45K |
Physicists salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $225K | $108.36/hr | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $214K | $102.9/hr | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $211K | $101.44/hr | 230 |
| California | $207K | $99.75/hr | 5,930 |
| Oregon | $200K | $96.31/hr | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $200K | $96.18/hr | 40 |
| Texas | $184K | $88.48/hr | 580 |
| New York | $182K | $87.48/hr | 1,140 |
| Kentucky | $181K | $86.98/hr | 50 |
| Connecticut | $180K | $86.68/hr | 60 |
| Iowa | $178K | $85.63/hr | 110 |
| Maryland | $174K | $83.84/hr | 1,200 |
| North Carolina | $174K | $83.74/hr | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $173K | $83.23/hr | 180 |
| Minnesota | $171K | $82.32/hr | 110 |
| Louisiana | $166K | $79.92/hr | 40 |
| New Mexico | $165K | $79.49/hr | 580 |
| Tennessee | $165K | $79.33/hr | 240 |
| New Jersey | $163K | $78.49/hr | 470 |
| Ohio | $163K | $78.32/hr | 630 |
| District of Columbia | $157K | $75.5/hr | 480 |
| Utah | $157K | $75.37/hr | 30 |
| Rhode Island | $155K | $74.59/hr | , |
| Nevada | $154K | $74.05/hr | 50 |
| Virginia | $145K | $69.73/hr | 940 |
| Georgia | $145K | $69.65/hr | 160 |
| Missouri | $140K | $67.53/hr | 90 |
| Alabama | $139K | $66.98/hr | 280 |
| South Carolina | $138K | $66.54/hr | 420 |
| Illinois | $137K | $65.93/hr | 1,590 |
| Arkansas | $136K | $65.3/hr | 60 |
| Idaho | $135K | $64.97/hr | , |
| Washington | $135K | $64.81/hr | 450 |
| Arizona | $131K | $62.74/hr | 120 |
| Mississippi | $130K | $62.49/hr | 80 |
| Hawaii | $117K | $56.34/hr | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $106K | $51.16/hr | 1,150 |
| Indiana | $106K | $50.93/hr | 230 |
| Colorado | $105K | $50.28/hr | 1,050 |
| Montana | $104K | $49.9/hr | 30 |
| Michigan | $95K | $45.44/hr | 510 |
| South Dakota | $83K | $39.93/hr | 30 |
| Delaware | $83K | $39.71/hr | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small