Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $181,970/year ($87.48/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $87K at the entry level to $309K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $161,665 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,910/month, or 28.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $182K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
Physicists pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City tracks closely to the national median, $182K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $2,910/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $159K | $160K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $175K | $183K |
| Trenton-Princeton | $135K | $131K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $106K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $87K. Mid-career wages sit at $182K. Top earners bring in $309K or more, a $222K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Yes — at the median salary of $182K, rent takes 27.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $87K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,238/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $182K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for physicists?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $182K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $162K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $181,970 a year, that works out to about $87 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $87,300, and experienced physicists can clear $308,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $182K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,469/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 27.8% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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 $161,665 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.