Physicists pay in the U.S.
$171,180avg. a year
$82.30 an hour · 20,430 employed
Physicists in the U.S. earn an average of $171,180 a year and a median of $172,250. Pay is highest in Florida ($219,910) and lowest in South Dakota ($108,270).
$172,250Median pay
$82.30Average hourly
+24%Avg. pay since 2020
20,430Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for physicists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1340 jobs
Florida
$219,910
$105.73 an hour
230 jobs
New Hampshire
$208,970
$100.46 an hour
390 jobs
Oregon
$207,370
$99.70 an hour
45,930 jobs
California
$201,930
$97.08 an hour
5110 jobs
Minnesota
$201,530
$96.89 an hour
660 jobs
Connecticut
$200,450
$96.37 an hour
7230 jobs
Pennsylvania
$191,120
$91.89 an hour
81,140 jobs
New York
$182,580
$87.78 an hour
9180 jobs
Wisconsin
$181,180
$87.11 an hour
1050 jobs
Kentucky
$179,250
$86.18 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Physicists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $148k$148k–$163k$163k–$179k$179k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $245,010 | $117.79 |
| Cleveland, OH | $209,480 | $100.71 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $196,520 | $94.48 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $191,320 | $91.98 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $191,070 | $91.86 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $189,390 | $91.05 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $186,150 | $89.50 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $178,430 | $85.78 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Physicists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $147,580 | $139,330 | 280 |
| Arizona | $159,730 | $130,500 | 120 |
| Arkansas | $146,880 | $135,820 | 60 |
| California | $201,930 | $207,490 | 5,930 |
| Colorado | $128,830 | $104,580 | 1,050 |
| Connecticut | $200,450 | $180,300 | 60 |
| Delaware | $133,760 | $82,590 | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $156,320 | $157,040 | 480 |
| Florida | $219,910 | $225,390 | 340 |
| Georgia | $179,130 | $144,870 | 160 |
| Hawaii | $177,940 | $117,190 | 40 |
| Idaho | $148,780 | $135,150 | – |
| Illinois | $139,780 | $137,140 | 1,590 |
| Indiana | $132,050 | $105,940 | 230 |
| Iowa | $176,230 | $178,110 | 110 |
| Kentucky | $179,250 | $180,910 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $152,750 | $166,240 | 40 |
| Maryland | $166,770 | $174,390 | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $130,250 | $106,410 | 1,150 |
| Michigan | $135,340 | $94,520 | 510 |
| Minnesota | $201,530 | $171,220 | 110 |
| Mississippi | $137,740 | $129,970 | 80 |
| Missouri | $156,130 | $140,460 | 90 |
| Montana | $125,680 | $103,800 | 30 |
| Nevada | $151,470 | $154,030 | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $208,970 | $214,030 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $175,090 | $163,270 | 470 |
| New Mexico | $176,680 | $165,340 | 580 |
| New York | $182,580 | $181,970 | 1,140 |
| North Carolina | $153,120 | $174,180 | 150 |
| Ohio | $172,300 | $162,900 | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $162,530 | $200,050 | 40 |
| Oregon | $207,370 | $200,320 | 90 |
| Pennsylvania | $191,120 | $210,990 | 230 |
| Rhode Island | $169,270 | $155,150 | – |
| South Carolina | $159,280 | $138,400 | 420 |
| South Dakota | $108,270 | $83,050 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $171,070 | $165,010 | 240 |
| Texas | $176,530 | $184,040 | 580 |
| Utah | $165,140 | $156,760 | 30 |
| Virginia | $159,320 | $145,040 | 940 |
| Washington | $149,060 | $134,790 | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $181,180 | $173,120 | 180 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$169,660
1,520 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$138,950
1,510 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$191,320
1,070 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$129,840
1,060 jobsBoulder, CO
$123,130
860 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$165,380
550 jobsSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$189,390
440 jobsAlbuquerque, NM
$177,280
330 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do physicists make?
The average is $171,180 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $172,250 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $82.30, and the median is $82.81 an hour.
Which state pays physicists the most?
Florida, with an average of $219,910 a year. The best-paying metro area is Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL at $245,010.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $82,110 a year, and the top 10% earn over $274,110.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-2012. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.