Physicists Wages
SOC 19-2012 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Physicists is $155,680 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $80,950 and the 90th percentile is $232,940, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
18,350
P10
$80,950
P25
$112,610
Median
$155,680
P75
$186,330
P90
$232,940
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Physicists have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $155,680 | $158,270 | $80,950 | $232,940 | 18,350 | — |
| 2022 | $142,850 | $150,130 | $74,760 | $219,760 | 18,840 | -8.24% |
| 2021 | $152,430 | $151,580 | $78,870 | — | 20,020 | +6.71% |
| 2020 | $129,850 | $137,700 | $67,450 | — | 16,160 | -14.81% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Physicists. The highest median is in Arizona at $201,600, 29% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $201,600 | +29.5% | $183,710 | 150 |
| Georgia | $200,310 | +28.7% | $178,170 | 110 |
| Oregon | $179,800 | +15.5% | $169,720 | 80 |
| California | $178,700 | +14.8% | $176,610 | 5,080 |
| New York | $178,140 | +14.4% | $168,430 | 970 |
| Missouri | $176,520 | +13.4% | $171,740 | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $174,770 | +12.3% | $155,870 | 40 |
| New Mexico | $171,670 | +10.3% | $180,600 | 770 |
| Pennsylvania | $165,600 | +6.4% | $169,550 | 410 |
| Connecticut | $165,370 | +6.2% | $163,960 | 70 |
| North Carolina | $164,950 | +6% | $146,250 | 240 |
| New Jersey | $164,330 | +5.6% | $177,010 | 320 |
| Wisconsin | $156,190 | +0.3% | $160,470 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $149,990 | -3.7% | $161,950 | 470 |
| Illinois | $144,620 | -7.1% | $147,790 | 900 |
| Rhode Island | $144,020 | -7.5% | $168,680 | 40 |
| Florida | $141,710 | -9% | $167,460 | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $138,420 | -11.1% | $136,570 | 660 |
| Maryland | $138,130 | -11.3% | $143,970 | 1,270 |
| Colorado | $137,150 | -11.9% | $142,670 | 1,030 |
| Ohio | $136,880 | -12.1% | $153,730 | 650 |
| Alabama | $132,930 | -14.6% | $130,670 | 170 |
| Virginia | $128,880 | -17.2% | $138,850 | 870 |
| Arkansas | $128,640 | -17.4% | $133,310 | 100 |
| Idaho | $128,470 | -17.5% | $145,010 | 220 |
| South Carolina | $127,780 | -17.9% | $145,090 | — |
| Utah | $127,640 | -18% | $151,200 | 50 |
| Kentucky | $126,160 | -19% | $131,130 | — |
| Tennessee | $121,760 | -21.8% | $128,820 | 300 |
| Indiana | $120,330 | -22.7% | $140,130 | 210 |
| Maine | $118,160 | -24.1% | $150,590 | 30 |
| Mississippi | $116,670 | -25.1% | $110,310 | 100 |
| Nevada | $112,460 | -27.8% | $126,050 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $110,110 | -29.3% | $134,560 | 80 |
| Washington | $106,300 | -31.7% | $120,050 | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $99,090 | -36.4% | $142,800 | 40 |
| Michigan | $96,410 | -38.1% | $127,490 | 500 |
| Iowa | $88,720 | -43% | $142,960 | 110 |
| Hawaii | — | — | — | 40 |
| Texas | — | — | — | 800 |