Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Tucson, AZ is $171,190/year ($82.31/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $97K at the entry level to $243K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.9), that's roughly $176,667 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,402/month, or 13.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $171K get you in Tucson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tucson’s Regional Price Parity (96.9). 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 Tucson
Physicists pay in Tucson tracks closely to the national median, $171K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,402/month, 13.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.9) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physicists in metros near Tucson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $131K | $126K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $164K | $154K |
| Boulder | $105K | , |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $160K | $141K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tucson, AZ
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $97K. Mid-career wages sit at $171K. Top earners bring in $243K or more, a $146K 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 Tucson numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tucson?
Yes — at the median salary of $171K, rent takes 13.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,402/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Tucson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $97K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,798/month. At HUD’s $1,402/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physicist a high-paying job in Tucson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $171K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Tucson compare to the national average for physicists?
Tucson pays $171K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $177K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physicists make in Tucson, AZ?
The median is $171,190 a year, that works out to about $82 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $96,630, and experienced physicists can clear $242,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $171K enough to live in Tucson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,290/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,402/month, which eats 13.6% 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 Tucson?
Tucson has a Regional Price Parity of 96.9 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physicists salary is worth about $176,667 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.