The average salary for a physicist in Washington is around $103,900 per year.
Avg Salary
Physicists earn an average yearly salary of $103,900.
Wages typically start from $61,890 and go up to $167,520.
50% above national average Updated in 2018
Physicist earnings by seniority
Top-level physicist earnings begin at:
$80.54 per hour
$167,520 per year
Senior-level physicist earnings begin at:
$61.65 per hour
$128,240 per year
Mid-level physicist earnings begin at:
$49.95 per hour
$103,900 per year
Junior-level physicist earnings begin at:
$40.51 per hour
$84,270 per year
Starting level physicist earnings begin at:
$29.75 per hour
$61,890 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 Washington. On average, they make less than mathematicians but more than geologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Mathematician salary | $120K |
| Physicist salary | $104K |
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $107K |
| Statistician salary | $98K |
| Biostatistician salary | $98K |
| Geologist salary | $88K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)