Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA is $120,490/year ($57.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $226K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.67), so that salary is closer to $112,956 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,255/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $120K actually covers in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom’s Regional Price Parity (106.67). 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
Pay for physicists in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $172K. Rent runs $2,255/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 7% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.67), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $164K | $154K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $160K | $141K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $173K | $157K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $156K | $140K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $120K. Top earners bring in $226K or more, a $159K 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 annually. We'll email you when Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $120K, rent takes 31.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,255/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,396/month. At HUD’s $2,255/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $120K here vs. $172K nationally.
How does Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom compare to the national average for physicists?
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom pays $120K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $113K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?
The median is $120,490 a year, that works out to about $58 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,510, and experienced physicists can clear $225,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $120K enough to live in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,147/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,255/month, which eats 31.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a physicists salary go in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom has a Regional Price Parity of 106.67 (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 $112,956 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.