Physicist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level physicist earnings begin at:

$97.37 per hour

$202,530 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level physicist earnings begin at:

$82.93 per hour

$172,490 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level physicist earnings begin at:

$77.14 per hour

$160,450 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level physicist earnings begin at:

$50.01 per hour

$104,010 per year

10th percentile

Starting level physicist earnings begin at:

$38.38 per hour

$79,830 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Physicist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Alabama $99,830
Delaware $80,830
Iowa $79,500
Vermont $79,110
Pennsylvania $201,200
Kansas $193,110
Arizona $172,940
Oklahoma $170,280
New York $167,720
California $164,930
Connecticut $164,000
Missouri $163,980
Colorado $160,450
Texas $159,050
Massachusetts $153,310
New Mexico $148,620
Florida $142,480
Utah $138,100
New Jersey $136,610
Illinois $136,600
Minnesota $136,600
Wisconsin $136,600
Maryland $135,430
District of Columbia $131,870
Rhode Island $131,750
Ohio $130,760
Virginia $129,360
North Carolina $128,420
Louisiana $127,630
Tennessee $125,340
Indiana $119,770
South Carolina $119,770
Washington $110,970
Georgia $106,770
Oregon $106,680
Maine $106,020
Mississippi $104,250
New Hampshire $104,000
Idaho $102,870
Michigan $101,750
Hawaii $100,570
Arkansas $100,110
Kentucky $100,110

How do physicist salaries compare to similar careers?

Physicists earn 15% more than similar careers in Colorado. On average, they make more than biochemical engineers.

Career Median Salary
Physicist salary $160K
Materials scientist salary $128K
Pharmacist salary $129K
Biochemist salary $100K
Biochemical engineer salary $114K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)