Physicist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level physicist earnings begin at:

$141.32 per hour

$293,950 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level physicist earnings begin at:

$101.25 per hour

$210,590 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level physicist earnings begin at:

$39.71 per hour

$82,590 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level physicist earnings begin at:

$31.04 per hour

$64,570 per year

10th percentile

Starting level physicist earnings begin at:

$31.04 per hour

$64,570 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Physicist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Michigan $94,520
South Dakota $83,050
Delaware $82,590
Vermont $79,110
Florida $225,390
New Hampshire $214,030
Pennsylvania $210,990
California $207,490
Oregon $200,320
Oklahoma $200,050
Texas $184,040
New York $181,970
Kentucky $180,910
Connecticut $180,300
Iowa $178,110
Maryland $174,390
North Carolina $174,180
Wisconsin $173,120
Minnesota $171,220
Louisiana $166,240
New Mexico $165,340
Tennessee $165,010
New Jersey $163,270
Ohio $162,900
District of Columbia $157,040
Utah $156,760
Rhode Island $155,150
Nevada $154,030
Virginia $145,040
Georgia $144,870
Missouri $140,460
Alabama $139,330
South Carolina $138,400
Illinois $137,140
Arkansas $135,820
Idaho $135,150
Washington $134,790
Arizona $130,500
Mississippi $129,970
Hawaii $117,190
Massachusetts $106,410
Indiana $105,940
Maine $105,400
Colorado $104,580
Montana $103,800

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 12% more than similar careers in Delaware.

Career Median Salary
Chemist salary $130K
Statistician salary $110K
Biostatistician salary $110K
Molecular biologist salary $113K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)