Salary distribution
Where California physicists fall on the wage curve.
Distribution not available
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.
Physicists in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 255 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $113,610. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 78 | $85,209 |
| Level II — qualified | 52 | $151,076 |
| Level III — experienced | 19 | $162,000 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 20 | $219,893 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Physicists in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | Research Associate | 52 | $105,292 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC | Research Scientist (Physicist) | 30 | $187,509 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | Physical Science Research Scientist | 20 | $84,070 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Postdoc | 18 | $140,380 |
| California Institute of Technology | Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Physics | 11 | $85,000 |
| University of California, Berkeley | Postdoctoral Scholar Employee | 10 | $79,267 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Postdoctoral Scholar | 8 | $82,100 |
| University of California at Santa Barbara | Postdoctoral Scholar | 7 | $74,425 |
| Regents of the University of California at Riverside | Junior Specialist | 7 | $74,425 |
| KLA Corporation | Algorithm Engineer | 6 | $169,123 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Physicist Staff Scientist/Engineer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory$186,000BerkeleyDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503054
- Research Associate at Bay Area Environmental Research Institute$91,520Moffett FieldDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-499525
- Principal Machine Learning Engineer at Xterra AI, Inc.$225,000San FranciscoDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-494067
- Pellet Fueling Scientist at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)$134,160San DiegoDecided Dec 24, 2025I-200-25351-490614
- Postdoctoral Scholar Employee at University of California, Berkeley$77,030BerkeleyDecided Dec 22, 2025I-200-25350-484720
- Research Associate at Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab$80,000Menlo ParkDecided Dec 17, 2025I-200-25344-473173
- RadOnc Physics Resident at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center$82,742Los AngelesDecided Dec 17, 2025I-200-25344-472789
- Senior Research Scientist at Eureka Aerospace INC$192,000PasadenaDecided Dec 12, 2025I-203-25339-462594
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Physicists pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Physicists specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 150 certified offers. The most common variant is Research Scientist at a median of $186,059.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Scientist | Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC | 37 | $186,059 |
| Associate Scientist | Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | 18 | $123,763 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | University of California at Santa Barbara | 17 | $77,179 |
| Research Associate | Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | 15 | $78,853 |
| Assistant Project Scientist | Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | 14 | $99,500 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar Employee | University of California, Berkeley | 11 | $77,179 |
| Physical Science Research Scientist | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 9 | $88,612 |
| Postdoctoral Research Affiliate | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 8 | $80,000 |
| Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering | Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 7 | $119,538 |
| Postdoctoral Research Staff | Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC | 5 | $123,360 |
| ASSOCIATE SPECIALIST | Regents of the University of California at Riverside | 5 | $73,000 |
| Physicist/Scientist | Applied Materials, Inc. | 4 | $179,566 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Physicists in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 255 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Education leads with a median of $83,440.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | 142 | $83,440 |
| Professional services | Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC | 71 | $143,976 |
| Manufacturing | KLA Corporation | 25 | $156,083 |
| Technology and software | PsiQuantum Corp. | 8 | $165,792 |
| Healthcare | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | 6 | $209,674 |
| Retail and wholesale | AMAZON DEVELOPMENT CENTER U.S., INC. | 3 | $170,900 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.9 / 5
Physics
Knowledge
- 4.8 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.8 / 5
Mathematical Reasoning
Ability
- 4.6 / 5
Science
Basic skill
- 4.5 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Mathematics
Basic skill
- 4.3 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.
- 02
Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.
- 03
Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
- 04
Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.
- 05
Write research proposals to receive funding.
- 06
Teach physics to students.
- 07
Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.
- 08
Conduct research pertaining to potential environmental impacts of atomic energy-related industrial development to determine licensing qualifications.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+4.1%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for physicists in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$214,520
- Riverside$150,490
- Los Angeles$133,070
- San Diego$124,710
- Sacramento$109,540
Compare Physicists pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Physicists in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Physicists in California is $180,900.
- How does California compare to the national median for Physicists?
- The California median is +11.8% versus the BLS national figure of $161,819.
- Is Physicists a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 4.1% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Physicists?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Doctoral or professional degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.