Physical Scientists, All Other
SOC 19-2099 • View wages by state
The median annual wage for Physical Scientists, All Other is $112,280, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $119,050, and an estimated 20,820 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +4.7% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -11% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will grow 0.6% between 2024 and 2034.
Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment
How the national median wage for Physical Scientists, All Other has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.
| Year | Median (nominal) | In 2023 $ (real) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $112,280 | $112,280 | 20,820 |
| 2022 | $107,970 | $112,415 | 19,820 |
| 2021 | $104,100 | $117,059 | 19,680 |
| 2020 | $107,210 | $126,220 | 19,050 |
Nominal change
+4.7%
Inflation (CPI)
+17.7%
Real change
-11%
Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)
The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).
Projected Growth
+0.6%
About average
Employment 2024
31,900
Projected 2034
32,100
Annual Openings
2,000
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Highest-Paying Areas (2023)
Where Physical Scientists, All Other earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $112,280. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $154,420 | +37.5% | 750 |
| Minnesota | $152,340 | +35.7% | 670 |
| Virginia | $143,000 | +27.4% | 1,160 |
| Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $137,180 | +22.2% | — |
| Maryland | $134,410 | +19.7% | 2,190 |
| South Carolina | $128,020 | +14% | 90 |
| California | $126,910 | +13% | 2,470 |
| Massachusetts | $125,550 | +11.8% | 290 |
| Tennessee | $124,760 | +11.1% | 70 |
| New Mexico | $123,760 | +10.2% | 230 |
Wage Distribution (National, 2023)
10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.
10th Pct
$59,590
25th Pct
$81,210
Median
$112,280
75th Pct
$148,430
90th Pct
$183,500
H-1B Employer Filings
Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.
| Employer | State | Filings | Median Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Mellon University | PA | 6 | $57,288 |
| University of Illinois | IL | 5 | $56,038 |
| University of California at Santa Barbara | CA | 4 | $73,300 |
| University of Maryland, College Park | MD | 3 | $98,000 |
| The University of Southern California | CA | 2 | $118,004 |
| South Dakota State University | SD | 2 | $56,712 |
| Texas A&M AgriLife Research | TX | 1 | $85,000 |
| Oklahoma State University | OK | 1 | $48,831 |
| Colorado State University | CO | 1 | $61,000 |
| Harvard University | MA | 1 | $87,500 |
| Texas A&M University | TX | 1 | $64,224 |
| Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii | HI | 1 | $107,994 |
| Florida A&M University | FL | 1 | $50,895 |
| The Curators of the University of Missouri | MO | 1 | $53,894 |
| California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory | CA | 1 | $123,843 |
| George Mason University | DC | 1 | $90,300 |
Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.
Related Occupations in Life, Physical & Social Science
Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.
All Life, Physical & Social Science occupations →