Physicist earnings by seniority

75th percentile

Senior-level physicist earnings begin at:

$89.60 per hour

$186,360 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level physicist earnings begin at:

$69.99 per hour

$145,570 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level physicist earnings begin at:

$50.05 per hour

$104,100 per year

10th percentile

Starting level physicist earnings begin at:

$36.69 per hour

$76,320 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 28% more than similar careers in Massachusetts. On average, they make more than chemists.

Career Median Salary
Physicist salary $146K
Nanotechnology engineer salary $107K
Statistician salary $101K
Biostatistician salary $101K
Chemist salary $94K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)