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Assistant professor of physics salary

Average assistant professor of physics salary

$64,925

$31.21 hourly rate

Entry-level assistant professor of physics salary
$42,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Assistant Professor of Physics Salary

The role of an Assistant Professor of Physics is foundational in academic institutions, contributing to both teaching and research. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position stands at $64,925 annually, translating to approximately $31 per hour. Factors influencing salary include years of experience, specific institutional demands, and geographical location.

Salary Variations by State

Geographical location plays a significant role in salary disparities. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries compared to others. Here’s a brief overview of average salaries by state:

  • California: $75,000
  • New York: $73,000
  • Texas: $62,000
  • Florida: $60,000

Understanding these differences can help candidates negotiate better offers and plan their career paths effectively. The data indicates that experience also influences earning potential, with seasoned professionals earning significantly more than entry-level colleagues. In addition, universities that focus on research often provide higher compensation packages.

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Where can an Assistant Professor Of Physics earn more?

Compare salary by location
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Columbus, OH$99,159
Bristol, TN$59,741
Compare salary by company
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176k
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New York University$157,583
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center$86,039

Assistant professor of physics salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for an assistant professor of physics typically falls between $56,496 and $142,634.
zippia
$64,925yearly
glassdoor[1]
$138,785yearly
comparably[2]
$142,634yearly
payscale[3]
$56,496yearly

Average assistant professor of physics salary by state

The average assistant professor of physics salary in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average assistant professor of physics salary states are Montana, Kentucky, and South Carolina.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for assistant professors of physics

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Vermont$97,547$46.90
2New York$91,724$44.10
3Massachusetts$98,673$47.44
4Oregon$87,262$41.95
5Rhode Island$93,888$45.14
6Illinois$90,289$43.41
7Maine$86,254$41.47
8Iowa$77,568$37.29
9District of Columbia$83,452$40.12
10Delaware$86,598$41.63
11Louisiana$75,231$36.17
12Maryland$85,628$41.17
13Idaho$82,895$39.85
14Nevada$84,166$40.46
15South Dakota$71,469$34.36
16Pennsylvania$73,134$35.16
17Arizona$80,436$38.67
18North Dakota$78,468$37.73
19Virginia$75,585$36.34
20Wisconsin$72,771$34.99
21Michigan$72,742$34.97
22Indiana$73,191$35.19
23New Hampshire$80,344$38.63
24California$81,079$38.98
25Utah$68,689$33.02
26Washington$77,433$37.23
27New Jersey$74,083$35.62
28Connecticut$79,682$38.31
29Nebraska$67,313$32.36
30Wyoming$71,601$34.42
31Alaska$63,825$30.69
32Mississippi$65,488$31.48
33Alabama$65,074$31.29
34Colorado$65,403$31.44
35New Mexico$68,444$32.91
36Minnesota$71,113$34.19
37Kansas$66,888$32.16
38Ohio$67,809$32.60
39North Carolina$63,840$30.69
40Florida$66,202$31.83
41Texas$60,086$28.89
42Kentucky$54,956$26.42
43West Virginia$50,574$24.31
44Montana$57,037$27.42
45Missouri$62,664$30.13
46Tennessee$59,105$28.42
47South Carolina$52,195$25.09
48Arkansas$61,535$29.58
49Oklahoma$61,126$29.39
50Georgia$51,529$24.77
51Hawaii$50,222$24.15
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Highest paying cities for assistant professors of physics

The highest-paying cities for assistant professors of physics are Boston, MA, Providence, RI, and New York, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Boston, MA$99,159$47.67
2Providence, RI$94,206$45.29
3New York, NY$91,779$44.12
4Chicago, IL$90,605$43.56
5Washington, DC$83,469$40.13
6Las Vegas, NV$83,460$40.13
7Pasadena, CA$79,920$38.42
8Cedar Rapids, IA$77,827$37.42
9Harrisonburg, VA$75,791$36.44
10New Orleans, LA$75,255$36.18
11Scranton, PA$74,637$35.88
12Piscataway, NJ$74,056$35.60
13West Lafayette, IN$73,172$35.18
14Rapid City, SD$72,006$34.62
15Saint Paul, MN$71,075$34.17
16Wichita, KS$67,024$32.22
17Melbourne, FL$66,378$31.91
18Winston-Salem, NC$64,076$30.81
19Joplin, MO$62,661$30.13
20Bristol, TN$59,741$28.72

Assistant professor of physics salary details

An assistant professor of physics's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $99,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average assistant professor of physics salary graph
Average assistant professor of physics salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an assistant professor of physics's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$99,000$8,250$48
75th Percentile$81,000$6,750$39
Average$64,925$5,410$31
25th Percentile$51,000$4,250$25
10th Percentile$42,000$3,500$20

Highest paying assistant professor of physics jobs

The highest paying types of assistant professors of physics are professor, astronomy professor, and medical physics professor.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Physical Education Teacher$49,652$4,138$23.87109,956
Professor$157,570$13,131$75.7521,861
Physics Professor$69,894$5,825$33.6012,289

Top companies hiring assistant professors of physics now:

  1. Brown University jobs (11)
  2. Rutgers University jobs (9)
  3. Florida Institute of Technology jobs (9)
  4. Brookhaven National Laboratory jobs (17)
  5. Chapman University jobs (9)

Which companies pay assistant professors of physics the most?

Assistant professor of physics salaries at New York University and Stanford University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant professor of physics salary at companies like California Institute of Technology and The George Washington University are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1New York University$157,583$75.76
2Stanford University$132,430$63.67
3California Institute of Technology$126,778$60.95
4The George Washington University$120,175$57.78
5Harvey Mudd College$117,704$56.59
6Tulane University$115,510$55.53
7Princeton University$108,599$52.21
8Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs$107,463$51.66
9Boston College$102,343$49.20
10Pace University$98,551$47.38
11UMiami Health System$94,050$45.22
12University of Rochester$93,355$44.88
13Brandeis University$91,189$43.84
14King's College$90,418$43.47
15Creighton University$89,496$43.03
16Fordham University$88,154$42.38
17Skidmore College$88,081$42.35
18Brown University$86,936$41.80
19Simmons University$86,641$41.65
20Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center$86,039$41.36

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$61,000$60,400$59,800$59,200$58,600$58,000
MaleFemale

Assistant professor of physics salary trends

The average assistant professor of physics salary has risen by $9,236 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant professor of physics earned $55,689 annually, but today, they earn $64,925 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for assistant professors of physics over the last decade.

Compare assistant professor of physics salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average assistant professor of physics salary over time

Compare assistant professor of physics salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Assistant professor of physics salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$64,900$31.21+0.9%
2024$64,300$30.93-1.4%
2023$65,200$31.35+3.8%
2022$62,700$30.16+3.2%
2021$60,700$29.20+2.0%

Recently added assistant professor of physics salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Utah Tech UniversityInstructor of The Practice or Assistant Professor of Physical TherapySaint George, UT06/20/2025$75,000
Touro CollegeAssistant Professor of PhysicsNew York, NY06/10/2025$48,000
South Dakota Board of RegentsAssistant Professor, PhysicsSpearfish, SD05/28/2025$70,000
Bellevue Community CollegeAssistant Professor (Tenure-Track) of PhysicsBellevue, WA04/30/2025$81,757
Touro CollegeAssistant Professor of PhysicsNew York, NY04/28/2025$48,000
New York Institute of TechnologyAssistant Professor Experimental Physics, Tenure TrackOld Westbury, NY04/28/2025$75,500
Staff and FacultyAssistant Professor-Physical TherapyIthaca, NY04/28/2025$71,500
CunyAssistant Professor-PhysicsNew York, NY04/21/2025$75,465
Outlier AiAdvanced Physics Expertise Sought for AI Training Work From Home)Seattle, WA04/16/2025$62,610
Outlier AiAdvanced Physics Expertise Sought for AI Training Work From Home)Indianapolis, IN04/16/2025$62,610

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