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Average physics major salary
Average physics major salary
Updated September 14, 2023
$62,150
What is the average physics major salary in the US?
The national average salary for a physics major in the U.S. is $62,150 annually or $29.88 hourly.The top 10 percent make over $118,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent make under $32,000 per year.The most abundant employment opportunities for physics majors are in technology companies and professional companies.The top 5 states when it comes to salaries for physics major graduates are California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York.
Best paying cities
$75,753
$69,350
$66,482
Average physics salary by company
Physics major graduates report their job security as good. But just as in every field, some employers pay higher wages than others.technology companies and professional companies tend to have the highest concentration of employment for physics major graduates.Meta and Google are the best paying companies for physics major graduates.Companies like Apple and Citi also pay high salaries to physics major graduates.
Average physics major salary by city
As a physics major graduate in the U.S., you can expect to earn on average $62,150 per year or $29.88 per hour.physics major graduates make the most in San Francisco, CA at about $75,753 per year.The average entry-level salary in San Francisco, CA is $38,000.Boston, MA, Hartford, CT, New York, NY, Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC, and Des Moines, WA also have great salaries for physics major graduates.California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York are the states with the highest payscale for physics major graduates.Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Wyoming, and Nebraska are the lowest earners.
Average salary by location
| Rank | City | Average physics salary | Salary range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $75,753 | $36k $108k |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $69,350 | $36k $108k |
| 3 | Hartford, CT | $66,482 | $36k $108k |
| 4 | New York, NY | $66,146 | $36k $108k |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $65,123 | $36k $108k |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $63,832 | $36k $108k |
| 7 | Des Moines, WA | $62,947 | $36k $108k |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $62,576 | $36k $108k |
| 9 | Portland, ME | $62,356 | $36k $108k |
| 10 | Albany, OR | $60,270 | $36k $108k |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $60,054 | $36k $108k |
| 12 | Arlington, VA | $59,548 | $36k $108k |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $57,341 | $36k $108k |
| 14 | Minneapolis, MN | $56,697 | $36k $108k |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $56,265 | $36k $108k |
| 16 | Richmond, IN | $56,161 | $36k $108k |
| 17 | Madison, WI | $56,100 | $36k $108k |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $55,438 | $36k $108k |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $53,905 | $36k $108k |
| 20 | San Antonio, TX | $53,220 | $36k $108k |
Average physics major salary by state
The darker areas on the map show where physics majors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary
Physics major average salary by state
| State | Average physics major salary | Average hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| California | $71,836 | $34.54 |
| Massachusetts | $69,409 | $33.37 |
| New Jersey | $68,022 | $32.70 |
| Connecticut | $66,667 | $32.05 |
| New York | $66,035 | $31.75 |
| Maryland | $64,923 | $31.21 |
| Washington | $62,405 | $30.00 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,265 | $29.94 |
| Delaware | $62,177 | $29.89 |
| Rhode Island | $61,939 | $29.78 |
| Maine | $61,919 | $29.77 |
| New Hampshire | $60,886 | $29.27 |
| Alaska | $60,263 | $28.97 |
| Oregon | $60,004 | $28.85 |
| Illinois | $59,749 | $28.73 |
| Nevada | $59,671 | $28.69 |
| Vermont | $59,411 | $28.56 |
| Virginia | $58,537 | $28.14 |
| Hawaii | $57,806 | $27.79 |
| Idaho | $57,694 | $27.74 |
| Arizona | $57,253 | $27.53 |
| Michigan | $56,839 | $27.33 |
| Minnesota | $56,717 | $27.27 |
| Wisconsin | $56,491 | $27.16 |
| Ohio | $55,775 | $26.81 |
| Indiana | $55,588 | $26.73 |
| North Carolina | $55,474 | $26.67 |
| New Mexico | $55,080 | $26.48 |
| West Virginia | $54,412 | $26.16 |
| Colorado | $53,897 | $25.91 |
| Tennessee | $53,285 | $25.62 |
| Georgia | $52,822 | $25.40 |
| North Dakota | $52,609 | $25.29 |
| Louisiana | $52,343 | $25.16 |
| Texas | $52,276 | $25.13 |
| Montana | $51,707 | $24.86 |
| Florida | $51,547 | $24.78 |
| Arkansas | $51,401 | $24.71 |
| Kentucky | $50,844 | $24.44 |
| South Carolina | $50,699 | $24.37 |
| Alabama | $50,569 | $24.31 |
| Mississippi | $50,352 | $24.21 |
| Utah | $50,292 | $24.18 |
| Oklahoma | $50,117 | $24.09 |
| Iowa | $50,011 | $24.04 |
| Missouri | $49,810 | $23.95 |
| Kansas | $49,722 | $23.90 |
| Wyoming | $49,662 | $23.88 |
| Nebraska | $49,609 | $23.85 |
| South Dakota | $49,450 | $23.77 |
Average physics major salary by industry
Wages for physics major graduates can differ based on the industry they work in.Our data shows that start-up companies, technology companies, and finance companies tend to have the highest salaries for physics major graduates.start-up companies pay physics major graduates the highest wages, averaging $122,569 per year. Technology companies and finance companies pay well too, at $112,382 and $110,355, respectively.The average physics major salary in the education industry is lower than the rest, coming in at $43,353.
Average salary by industry
| Rank | Industry | Average physics major salary | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $122,569 | $34k $149k |
| 2 | Technology | $112,382 | $34k $149k |
| 3 | Finance | $110,355 | $34k $149k |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $100,577 | $34k $149k |
| 5 | Professional | $97,154 | $34k $149k |
| 6 | Health Care | $72,540 | $34k $149k |
| 7 | Government | $47,052 | $34k $149k |
| 8 | Education | $43,353 | $34k $149k |
Salary history for physics major graduates
This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Physics major graduates.
Physics major salary by experience level
Average salary by experience level salaries by experience level
The salary for a physics major graduate can range from $71,191 to $176,536 depending on the amount of work experience that the person has. Data on how experience level affects salary is provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as part of their National Compensation Survey, which is based on factors such as knowledge, complexity, contacts, and environment.
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level average salary by experience level | $71,200 | $34.23 |
| Mid-level average salary by experience level | $107,000 | $51.22 |
| Senior-level average salary by experience level | $177,000 | $84.87 |
Salaries for related majors
| Rank | Major | Average salary | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Sciences | $76,348 | $41k $102k |
| 2 | Astronomy And Astrophysics | $73,326 | $41k $102k |
| 3 | Geology | $71,227 | $41k $102k |
| 4 | Meteorology | $65,662 | $41k $102k |
| 5 | Physical Sciences | $58,322 | $41k $102k |
| 6 | Chemistry | $56,438 | $41k $102k |