Physicists Salary
The median pay for a physicists in Utah is $156,760/year ($75.37/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $259K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.54), that's roughly $159,083 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,350/month, or 14.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Utah. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $157K actually covers in Utah, month by month
About physicists
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What this looks like in Utah
Physicists pay in Utah tracks closely to the national median, $157K locally vs. $172K nationwide, a 9% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,350/month, 14.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 98.54) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Utah
Entry-level physicists (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $157K. Top earners bring in $259K or more, a $195K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track physicists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Utah numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a physicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Utah?
Yes — at the median salary of $157K, rent takes 14.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,350/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physicists in Utah?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physicists typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,208/month. At HUD’s $1,350/month FMR, rent would take 32% 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 Utah?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $157K locally vs. $172K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Utah compare to the national average for physicists?
Utah pays $157K median vs. the U.S. average of $172K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $159K — below the national median.
How much do physicists make in Utah?
The median is $156,760 a year, that works out to about $75 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,090, and experienced physicists can clear $258,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $157K enough to live in Utah?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,218/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,350/month, which eats 14.6% 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 Utah?
Utah has a Regional Price Parity of 98.54 (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 $159,083 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.