Physicist salary
172,250 USD
Median annual wage · 2025 · BLS · 19-2012
Half of all physicists in the United States earn more than 172,250 USD a year, half earn less.
Rank by pay27of 825 occupations
Spread, quartile to quartile1.99×111,720 USD – 222,760 USD
| Measure | All |
|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 111,720 USD |
| Median | 172,250 USD |
| Mean | 171,180 USD |
| Upper quartile | 222,760 USD |
About the figure
Occupation code 19-2012 in SOC 2018, the US occupation classification. Covers wage and salary workers, excluding the self-employed. Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not estimated by us. The figure is an annual wage, not a monthly one.
Occupations that pay about the same
- Pediatricians, General 210,040 USD
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologists 193,950 USD
- Computer and Information Systems Managers 175,140 USD
- Architectural and Engineering Managers 171,270 USD
- Dentists, General 170,950 USD
- Natural Sciences Managers 167,220 USD
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Figures are for 2025; snapshot taken 2026-08-15. www.bls.gov