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Best states for a physical sciences instructor
Quoted expert
Joshua French Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for physical sciences instructors in the United States. Physical sciences instructor positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for physical sciences instructors.We wanted to look at the best states for physical sciences instructors -- where there are plenty of physical sciences instructor jobs to go around and physical sciences instructors get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
The median salary for physical sciences instructors in Rhode Island is $90,756. Compare that to the median salary in Arkansas of $48,473, which ranked worst for physical sciences instructors, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Midwest is best for physical sciences instructors, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for physical sciences instructor jobs, where as Rhode Island is the best state in the country.
10 best states for physical sciences instructors in 2026
1. Rhode Island
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 166 Average annual salary: $90,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
2. Massachusetts
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 1,138 Average annual salary: $90,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
3. Vermont
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 142 Average annual salary: $79,897 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.83
4. Nevada
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 272 Average annual salary: $78,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
5. Delaware
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $85,155 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
6. New York
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 1,241 Average annual salary: $93,545 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
7. California
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 3,151 Average annual salary: $92,509 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
8. New Jersey
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 881 Average annual salary: $87,495 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
9. Wyoming
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 110 Average annual salary: $69,323 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
10. Louisiana
Total physical sciences instructor jobs: 415 Average annual salary: $71,584 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
Physical sciences instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a physical sciences instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a physical sciences instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $90,756 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 166 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $90,696 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,138 |
| 3 | Vermont | $79,897 | $51,000 | 623,657 | 142 |
| 4 | Nevada | $78,410 | $48,000 | 2,998,039 | 272 |
| 5 | Delaware | $85,155 | $54,000 | 961,939 | 149 |
| 6 | New York | $93,545 | $60,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,241 |
| 7 | California | $92,509 | $58,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,151 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $87,495 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 881 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $69,323 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 110 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $71,584 | $47,000 | 4,684,333 | 415 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $75,498 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 393 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $79,521 | $50,000 | 12,805,537 | 948 |
| 13 | Florida | $76,043 | $51,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,669 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $66,022 | $42,000 | 5,024,369 | 723 |
| 15 | Maryland | $76,197 | $48,000 | 6,052,177 | 723 |
| 16 | Virginia | $71,727 | $45,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,052 |
| 17 | Illinois | $73,921 | $46,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,025 |
| 18 | Georgia | $66,098 | $43,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,190 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $63,790 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 259 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $67,126 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 372 |
| 21 | Texas | $69,082 | $45,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,787 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $80,113 | $50,000 | 693,972 | 83 |
| 23 | Ohio | $67,604 | $42,000 | 11,658,609 | 781 |
| 24 | Washington | $71,332 | $43,000 | 7,405,743 | 562 |
| 25 | Oregon | $66,501 | $40,000 | 4,142,776 | 461 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $61,799 | $39,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,115 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $56,236 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 242 |
| 28 | Alabama | $63,041 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 393 |
| 29 | Utah | $65,874 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 178 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $58,392 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 273 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $62,002 | $39,000 | 3,930,864 | 263 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $65,394 | $42,000 | 1,342,795 | 81 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $61,008 | $38,000 | 755,393 | 88 |
| 34 | Alaska | $55,820 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 124 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $53,396 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 120 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $60,676 | $38,000 | 6,715,984 | 501 |
| 37 | Michigan | $57,359 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 880 |
| 38 | Colorado | $56,117 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 771 |
| 39 | Maine | $55,739 | $36,000 | 1,335,907 | 163 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $56,488 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 246 |
| 41 | Iowa | $55,711 | $35,000 | 3,145,711 | 398 |
| 42 | Indiana | $58,566 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 528 |
| 43 | Missouri | $54,821 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 551 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,102 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 134 |
| 45 | Kansas | $52,109 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 299 |
| 46 | Montana | $42,065 | $26,000 | 1,050,493 | 139 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $55,912 | $34,000 | 5,576,606 | 396 |
| 48 | Arizona | $49,404 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 617 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $52,283 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 391 |
| 50 | Idaho | $47,120 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 153 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $48,473 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 160 |
Highest paying states for physical sciences instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Physical Sciences Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $90,756 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $90,696 |
| 3 | Vermont | $79,897 |
| 4 | Nevada | $78,410 |
| 5 | Delaware | $85,155 |
| 6 | New York | $93,545 |
| 7 | California | $92,509 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $87,495 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $69,323 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $71,584 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $75,498 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $79,521 |
| 13 | Florida | $76,043 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $66,022 |
| 15 | Maryland | $76,197 |
| 16 | Virginia | $71,727 |
| 17 | Illinois | $73,921 |
| 18 | Georgia | $66,098 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $63,790 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $67,126 |
| 21 | Texas | $69,082 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $80,113 |
| 23 | Ohio | $67,604 |
| 24 | Washington | $71,332 |
| 25 | Oregon | $66,501 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $61,799 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $56,236 |
| 28 | Alabama | $63,041 |
| 29 | Utah | $65,874 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $58,392 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $62,002 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $65,394 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $61,008 |
| 34 | Alaska | $55,820 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $53,396 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $60,676 |
| 37 | Michigan | $57,359 |
| 38 | Colorado | $56,117 |
| 39 | Maine | $55,739 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $56,488 |
| 41 | Iowa | $55,711 |
| 42 | Indiana | $58,566 |
| 43 | Missouri | $54,821 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,102 |
| 45 | Kansas | $52,109 |
| 46 | Montana | $42,065 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $55,912 |
| 48 | Arizona | $49,404 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $52,283 |
| 50 | Idaho | $47,120 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $48,473 |
Expert opinions on the best states for physical sciences instructors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for physical sciences instructors to find work opportunities?
Joshua French Ph.D.
Associate Professor Director of Statistical Programs, University of Colorado Denver
With employers increasingly allowing their employees to work from him, particularly in knowledge-driven jobs such as statistics, the physical location of a job won't be as important in the future. However, you can expect that the majority of jobs will still be in larger cities with large tech and corporate presence. In the immediate future, states allowing companies more flexibility in operating normally will see a relative increase in the number of statistics jobs, as companies will be able to increase the amount of business performed in those areas.
Physical sciences instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025