Physicist vs experimental physicist

The differences between physicists and experimental physicists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a physicist and an experimental physicist. Additionally, a physicist has an average salary of $110,869, which is higher than the $64,791 average annual salary of an experimental physicist.

The top three skills for a physicist include patients, radiology and oncology. The most important skills for an experimental physicist are image analysis, labview, and .

Physicist vs experimental physicist overview

	Physicist	Experimental Physicist
Yearly salary	$110,869	$64,791
Hourly rate	$53.30	$31.15
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	803	751
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

Physicist vs experimental physicist salary

Physicists and experimental physicists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physicist	Experimental Physicist
Average salary	$110,869	$64,791
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $180,000	Between $29,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Fulton, MD
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Sanford Health	University of Maryland, Baltimore
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between physicist and experimental physicist education

There are a few differences between a physicist and an experimental physicist in terms of educational background:

	Physicist	Experimental Physicist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Physics	Physics
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Physicist vs experimental physicist demographics

Here are the differences between physicists' and experimental physicists' demographics:

	Physicist	Experimental Physicist
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 13.2% White, 73.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 0.8% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 80.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	24%	24%

Differences between physicist and experimental physicist duties and responsibilities

Physicist example responsibilities.

Analyze large data sets using Matlab and compare the simulation results with the empirical data.
Plan HDR, prostate seed, and IMRT treatments.
Assist in commissioning of a Varian TrueBeam LINAC.
Work with Tomotherapy HiArt, Varian 21EX and 21IX, and TrueBeam linear accelerators.
Ensure safety of workers and the public by monitoring OSHA, ANSI, EPA, and other require regulations.
Calibrate radiation machine used to treat cancer patients with radiation therapy.

Experimental physicist example responsibilities.

Conduct simulation and modeling using ALEGRA-MHD and CTH computational codes to study non-ideal plasma and penetration.
Produce detailed solid models of components and systems that are used for both parametric analysis (FEA).
Hire as part of a team of physicists and engineers testing specific theories relating to IEC fusion energy.
Specialize in performing and evaluating radiation shielding calculations for radiation oncology facilities under the guidance of a qualify health physicist.
Service on review panels for projects at DARPA and NSF.

Physicist vs experimental physicist skills

Common physicist skills

Patients, 14%
Radiology, 9%
Oncology, 9%
Radiation Safety, 6%
Radiation Therapy, 6%
PET, 4%

Common experimental physicist skills

Image Analysis, 91%
LabVIEW, 9%

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Physicist vs Experimental Physicist

Updated January 8, 2025

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