Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA is $163,210/year ($78.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $100K at the entry level to $240K for experienced workers.
So what does $163K get you in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura’s Regional Price Parity (110.5). 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 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
Physicists pay in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura tracks closely to the national median, $163K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $2,693/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.5), 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 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $164K | , |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $160K | , |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $173K | , |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $156K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $100K. Mid-career wages sit at $163K. Top earners bring in $240K or more, a $139K 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
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 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura?
Yes — at the median salary of $163K, rent takes 29.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,693/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $100K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,029/month. At HUD’s $2,693/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $163K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura compare to the national average for physicists?
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura pays $163K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.5), the purchasing-power equivalent is $148K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?
The median is $163,210 a year, that works out to about $78 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $100,480, and experienced physicists can clear $239,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $163K enough to live in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,249/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,693/month, which eats 29.1% 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 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura?
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physicists salary is worth about $147,701 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.