The average salary for a physicist in California is around $112,980 per year.
Avg Salary
Physicists earn an average yearly salary of $112,980.
Wages typically start from $59,600 and go up to $169,060.
55% above national average Updated in 2018
Physicist earnings by seniority
Top-level physicist earnings begin at:
$81.28 per hour
$169,060 per year
Senior-level physicist earnings begin at:
$69.43 per hour
$144,410 per year
Mid-level physicist earnings begin at:
$54.32 per hour
$112,980 per year
Junior-level physicist earnings begin at:
$39.48 per hour
$82,120 per year
Starting level physicist earnings begin at:
$28.65 per hour
$59,600 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Physicist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $98,520 |
| Georgia | $97,540 |
| Mississippi | $94,160 |
| Oregon | $87,930 |
| Iowa | $86,840 |
| Michigan | $81,650 |
| Vermont | $79,110 |
| Indiana | $76,590 |
| Oklahoma | $170,280 |
| Wisconsin | $154,070 |
| New Mexico | $148,620 |
| District of Columbia | $146,890 |
| Massachusetts | $145,570 |
| Utah | $138,100 |
| North Carolina | $133,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $132,905 |
| Minnesota | $128,110 |
| Louisiana | $127,630 |
| New York | $126,740 |
| Tennessee | $126,500 |
| Maryland | $125,660 |
| Florida | $124,070 |
| New Hampshire | $122,340 |
| New Jersey | $119,930 |
| Ohio | $117,870 |
| Alabama | $116,490 |
| California | $112,980 |
| Texas | $112,420 |
| Illinois | $111,160 |
| Idaho | $111,110 |
| Missouri | $105,770 |
| Arizona | $105,565 |
| Maine | $105,400 |
| South Carolina | $104,700 |
| Washington | $103,900 |
| Virginia | $102,220 |
| Colorado | $100,850 |
How much does a Physicist earn?
Individuals with a physics degrees earn more, on average, than their fellow graduates in all but a handful of disciplines. According to a study by PayScale.com, physicists are the sixth-highest-earning group of graduates, with a median physicist salary of approximately $100,000 after at least ten years in the workforce. Physics was one of only three non-engineering majors to be in the top ten, along with computer science and economics. Starting physicists salaries aren’t bad either - approximately $55,000. (Please note that PayScale’s data set is based on information provided by users of the website, not a random sample of US graduates.
The top three industries where physicists work are in the federal government; research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences; and colleges, universities, and professional schools.
How do physicist salaries compare to similar careers?
Physicists earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than materials scientists but more than atmospheric scientists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Materials scientist salary | $106K |
| Physicist salary | $113K |
| Astronomer salary | $118K |
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $107K |
| Geospatial information scientist salary | $98K |
| Atmospheric scientist salary | $101K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)