Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL is $266,260/year ($128.01/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $126K at the entry level to $309K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.89), that's roughly $263,911 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,977/month, or 12.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $266K actually covers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater’s Regional Price Parity (100.89). 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater sits well above the national pay line for physicists, local pay runs about 55% higher than the U.S. median of $172K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,977/month, 12.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.89) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater offers a genuinely strong financial position for physicists at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $272K | $239K |
| Huntsville | $150K | $161K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $145K | $145K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $126K. Mid-career wages sit at $266K. Top earners bring in $309K or more, a $182K 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Yes — at the median salary of $266K, rent takes 12.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,977/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $126K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $8,083/month. At HUD’s $1,977/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Local pay is 55% above the national median — $266K here vs. $172K nationally.
How does Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater compare to the national average for physicists?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater pays $266K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s +55%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $264K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physicists make in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
The median is $266,260 a year, that works out to about $128 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $126,170, and experienced physicists can clear $308,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $266K enough to live in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $16,116/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,977/month, which eats 12.3% 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater has a Regional Price Parity of 100.89 (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 $263,911 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.