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Physicist salary
Average physicist salary
$110,869
Average Physicist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a physicist stands at $110,869 annually. This amount can vary significantly depending on various elements such as experience, specialization, and geographical location. For instance, physicists in states like California and New York typically earn higher salaries due to a denser concentration of research institutions and industries requiring advanced physics knowledge.
Physicist Salary by State
States with the highest average salaries for physicists include:
- California: $130,000
- Massachusetts: $125,000
- Washington: $120,000
It’s essential for prospective physicists to consider these variations when exploring job opportunities. Additionally, factors such as the type of employer—whether academia, government, or private sector—can also influence salary levels. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for anyone planning a career in physics.
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Where can a Physicist earn more?
Physicist salary estimates from across the web
Average physicist salary by state
The highest-paying states for physicists are Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire. The lowest average physicist salary states are Indiana, Oregon, and Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for physicists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $121,409 | $58.37 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $123,429 | $59.34 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $129,915 | $62.46 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $121,013 | $58.18 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $134,689 | $64.75 |
| 6 | Maryland | $123,444 | $59.35 |
| 7 | New York | $130,066 | $62.53 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $116,652 | $56.08 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $111,443 | $53.58 |
| 10 | Alaska | $116,239 | $55.88 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $109,415 | $52.60 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $115,422 | $55.49 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $124,164 | $59.69 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $109,257 | $52.53 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $113,566 | $54.60 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $111,734 | $53.72 |
| 17 | Alabama | $111,316 | $53.52 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $111,702 | $53.70 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $104,552 | $50.27 |
| 20 | Vermont | $116,179 | $55.86 |
| 21 | Ohio | $107,894 | $51.87 |
| 22 | Georgia | $106,699 | $51.30 |
| 23 | Nevada | $107,929 | $51.89 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $105,864 | $50.90 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $105,730 | $50.83 |
| 26 | Arizona | $103,862 | $49.93 |
| 27 | Delaware | $110,028 | $52.90 |
| 28 | Florida | $102,369 | $49.22 |
| 29 | Colorado | $100,943 | $48.53 |
| 30 | Utah | $101,616 | $48.85 |
| 31 | Texas | $99,073 | $47.63 |
| 32 | Idaho | $96,489 | $46.39 |
| 33 | California | $105,343 | $50.65 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $99,834 | $48.00 |
| 35 | Washington | $101,136 | $48.62 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $101,174 | $48.64 |
| 37 | Montana | $102,507 | $49.28 |
| 38 | Maine | $100,800 | $48.46 |
| 39 | Michigan | $86,559 | $41.61 |
| 40 | Missouri | $99,944 | $48.05 |
| 41 | Iowa | $96,713 | $46.50 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $96,711 | $46.50 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $71,008 | $34.14 |
| 44 | Illinois | $86,091 | $41.39 |
| 45 | Virginia | $75,436 | $36.27 |
| 46 | Kansas | $90,846 | $43.68 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $85,725 | $41.21 |
| 48 | Oregon | $78,823 | $37.90 |
| 49 | Indiana | $82,244 | $39.54 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $71,347 | $34.30 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $65,485 | $31.48 |
Highest paying cities for physicists
The highest-paying cities for physicists are Rochester, NY, Baltimore, MD, and Albuquerque, NM.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, NY | $131,891 | $63.41 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $124,399 | $59.81 |
| 3 | Albuquerque, NM | $124,392 | $59.80 |
| 4 | Burlington, MA | $122,157 | $58.73 |
| 5 | Allentown, PA | $117,287 | $56.39 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $113,828 | $54.73 |
| 7 | Madison, WI | $111,104 | $53.42 |
| 8 | Oak Ridge, TN | $110,979 | $53.36 |
| 9 | San Francisco, CA | $108,064 | $51.95 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $107,601 | $51.73 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $107,480 | $51.67 |
| 12 | Rochester, MN | $105,067 | $50.51 |
| 13 | Peoria, AZ | $104,446 | $50.21 |
| 14 | Boulder, CO | $101,033 | $48.57 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $100,837 | $48.48 |
| 16 | Sioux Falls, SD | $100,164 | $48.16 |
| 17 | Richland, WA | $99,787 | $47.97 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $99,199 | $47.69 |
| 19 | East Lansing, MI | $86,541 | $41.61 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $86,388 | $41.53 |
Physicist salary details
A physicist's salary ranges from $68,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $180,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a physicist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $180,000 | $15,000 | $87 |
| 75th Percentile | $143,000 | $11,917 | $69 |
| Average | $110,869 | $9,239 | $53 |
| 25th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| 10th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
Highest paying physicist jobs
The highest paying types of physicists are medical physicist, nuclear scientist, and optical scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computational Physicist | $61,519 | $5,127 | $29.58 | 865 |
| Research Physicist | $74,663 | $6,222 | $35.90 | 46,060 |
| Medical Physicist | $122,845 | $10,237 | $59.06 | 46,513 |
| Health Physicist | $74,942 | $6,245 | $36.03 | 47,640 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for physicists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Romulo Ochoa
Professor of Physics, The College of New Jersey
Which companies pay physicists the most?
Physicist salaries at Sanford Health and Billings Clinic are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average physicist salary at companies like Avera Health and McLeod Health are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanford Health | $240,202 | $115.48 |
| 2 | Billings Clinic | $238,804 | $114.81 |
| 3 | Avera Health | $237,084 | $113.98 |
| 4 | McLeod Health | $228,341 | $109.78 |
| 5 | Baptist Health Care | $227,485 | $109.37 |
| 6 | Beaumont Health | $221,571 | $106.52 |
| 7 | OSF HealthCare | $220,538 | $106.03 |
| 8 | Lehigh Valley Health Network | $218,754 | $105.17 |
| 9 | Scripps Health | $218,634 | $105.11 |
| 10 | Kaiser Permanente | $215,180 | $103.45 |
| 11 | Baylor Scott & White Health | $212,606 | $102.21 |
| 12 | Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc. | $212,577 | $102.20 |
| 13 | Torrance Memorial Medical Center | $208,682 | $100.33 |
| 14 | Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare | $207,355 | $99.69 |
| 15 | Novant Health | $205,959 | $99.02 |
| 16 | Emory Healthcare | $205,524 | $98.81 |
| 17 | SSM Health | $201,309 | $96.78 |
| 18 | Summit Health Oregon | $196,292 | $94.37 |
| 19 | Providence Hospital | $196,175 | $94.31 |
| 20 | Green Janet Lynne | $196,024 | $94.24 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Physicist salary trends
The average physicist salary has risen by $20,056 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average physicist earned $90,813 annually, but today, they earn $110,869 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for physicists over the last decade.
Compare physicist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average physicist salary over time
Compare physicist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Physicist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $111,000 | $53.30 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | $105,000 | $50.43 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $103,000 | $49.65 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $101,000 | $48.78 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $98,900 | $47.56 | +3.7% |
Recently added physicist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get It-Healthcare | Radiation Physicist-Remote | WFH | Annandale, VA | 06/29/2025 | $110,734 |
| Actalent | Physicist | Dayton, OH | 06/29/2025 | $165,000 |
| Maimonides Medical Center | SR Radiation Oncologyphysicist | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $235,000 |
| Medstar Research Institute | Physicist | Washington, DC | 06/25/2025 | $139,276 |
| HH Medstar Health Inc. | Clinical Physicist | Washington, DC | 06/25/2025 | $139,276 |
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Junior Physicist-Radiation Safety-Mount Sinai Hospital | New York, NY | 06/21/2025 | $65,885 |
| Argonne National Laboratory | Assistant Physicist | Lemont, IL | 06/20/2025 | $90,063 |
| Catholic Health Initiatives | SR Physicist | Hot Springs, AR | 06/19/2025 | $152,518 |
| Mount Sinai Health System | Physicist-Radiation Safety-Mount Sinai Hospital-M-F 9Am-5Pm | New York, NY | 06/19/2025 | $116,718 |
| Northrop Grumman | Atomic Molecular & Optical Physicist | Los Angeles, CA | 06/18/2025 | $108,200 |
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