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Physicists Salary by State

Median annual wage from the latest BLS Occupational Employment Statistics release. Hover any state for the cost-of-living adjusted figure. Click to open the full state breakdown.

PhysicistsBLS OES May 2025
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Physicists — median wage by state

  • Florida: $225,390, COL-adjusted $217,979
  • New Hampshire: $214,030, COL-adjusted $205,403
  • Pennsylvania: $210,990, COL-adjusted $216,178
  • California: $207,490, COL-adjusted $187,435
  • Oregon: $200,320, COL-adjusted $193,733
  • Oklahoma: $200,050, COL-adjusted $227,847
  • Texas: $184,040, COL-adjusted $189,537
  • New York: $181,970, COL-adjusted $168,647
  • Kentucky: $180,910, COL-adjusted $200,565
  • Connecticut: $180,300, COL-adjusted $174,035
  • Iowa: $178,110, COL-adjusted $202,859
  • Maryland: $174,390, COL-adjusted $166,086
  • North Carolina: $174,180, COL-adjusted $184,708
  • Wisconsin: $173,120, COL-adjusted $183,974
  • Minnesota: $171,220, COL-adjusted $173,651
  • Louisiana: $166,240, COL-adjusted $188,481
  • New Mexico: $165,340, COL-adjusted $179,328
  • Tennessee: $165,010, COL-adjusted $179,554
  • New Jersey: $163,270, COL-adjusted $150,064
  • Ohio: $162,900, COL-adjusted $175,539
  • District of Columbia: $157,040, COL-adjusted $142,894
  • Utah: $156,760, COL-adjusted $158,504
  • Rhode Island: $155,150, COL-adjusted $151,662
  • Nevada: $154,030, COL-adjusted $154,030
  • Virginia: $145,040, COL-adjusted $143,462
  • Georgia: $144,870, COL-adjusted $150,436
  • Missouri: $140,460, COL-adjusted $154,692
  • Alabama: $139,330, COL-adjusted $156,903
  • South Carolina: $138,400, COL-adjusted $147,705
  • Illinois: $137,140, COL-adjusted $137,140
  • Arkansas: $135,820, COL-adjusted $156,295
  • Idaho: $135,150, COL-adjusted $141,518
  • Washington: $134,790, COL-adjusted $125,972
  • Arizona: $130,500, COL-adjusted $129,593
  • Mississippi: $129,970, COL-adjusted $149,391
  • Hawaii: $117,190, COL-adjusted $106,536
  • Massachusetts: $106,410, COL-adjusted $100,577
  • Indiana: $105,940, COL-adjusted $113,548
  • Colorado: $104,580, COL-adjusted $101,435
  • Montana: $103,800, COL-adjusted $109,725
  • Michigan: $94,520, COL-adjusted $98,254
  • South Dakota: $83,050, COL-adjusted $93,736
  • Delaware: $82,590, COL-adjusted $82,756
  • Alaska: —
  • Kansas: —
  • Maine: —
  • Nebraska: —
  • North Dakota: —
  • Vermont: —
  • West Virginia: —
  • Wyoming: —

All states

51 of 51 results · sorted by value: high to low

Highest- and lowest-paying states for physicists

Ranked by median annual wage from the BLS 2025 release. The full sortable list is above; these are the extremes.

Highest-paying
  1. 1. Florida$225,390
  2. 2. New Hampshire$214,030
  3. 3. Pennsylvania$210,990
  4. 4. California$207,490
  5. 5. Oregon$200,320
Lowest-paying
  1. Delaware$82,590
  2. South Dakota$83,050
  3. Michigan$94,520
  4. Montana$103,800
  5. Colorado$104,580

Frequently asked questions

What is the average Physicists salary in the United States?
The US median wage for Physicists is $166,057 per year (BLS, 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
Which state pays Physicists the most?
Florida pays Physicists the most, with a median of $225,390, followed by New Hampshire ($214,030). The lowest median is in Delaware at $82,590.
How much do Physicists salaries vary by state?
Physicists median pay ranges from $82,590 to $225,390 across the 50 states and DC — a spread largely explained by cost of living and local demand. The table below ranks every state.
Are Physicists jobs growing?
BLS projects a +4.1% change in Physicists employment from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as average.