Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $156,480/year ($75.23/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $84K at the entry level to $219K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $139,852 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 32.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $156K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Physicists pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $156K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $3,001/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, 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 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $120K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $84K. Mid-career wages sit at $156K. Top earners bring in $219K or more, a $135K 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $156K, rent takes 33.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $84K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,067/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $156K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for physicists?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $156K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $140K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $156,480 a year, that works out to about $75 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $84,450, and experienced physicists can clear $219,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $156K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,918/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 33.7% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (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 $139,852 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.