Pay by state · 43 states
Physicist Salary by State (2026)
Physicists earn the most in Florida at $225,390 a year and the least in Delaware at $82,590 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $172,250. All 43 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $225,390Florida
- National median
- $172,250BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $82,590Delaware
- States reporting
- 43of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Physicist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of physicists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FLFlorida | $225,390 | $153,980 | $285,400 | 340 | $217,949 |
| 2 | NHNew Hampshire | $214,030 | $145,220 | $267,600 | 30 | $205,472 |
| 3 | PAPennsylvania | $210,990 | $150,950 | $231,190 | 230 | $216,240 |
| 4 | CACalifornia | $207,490 | $173,450 | $222,760 | 5,930 | $187,401 |
| 5 | OROregon | $200,320 | $148,800 | $277,840 | 90 | $193,806 |
| 6 | OKOklahoma | $200,050 | $64,510 | $233,080 | 40 | $227,736 |
| 7 | TXTexas | $184,040 | $95,530 | $253,070 | 580 | $189,621 |
| 8 | NYNew York | $181,970 | $131,600 | $221,590 | 1,140 | $168,614 |
| 9 | KYKentucky | $180,910 | $120,100 | $232,170 | 50 | $200,657 |
| 10 | CTConnecticut | $180,300 | $148,460 | $269,440 | 60 | $174,018 |
| 11 | IAIowa | $178,110 | $104,970 | $218,520 | 110 | $202,947 |
| 12 | MDMaryland | $174,390 | $132,560 | $195,190 | 1,200 | $166,151 |
| 13 | NCNorth Carolina | $174,180 | $81,370 | $209,210 | 150 | $184,657 |
| 14 | WIWisconsin | $173,120 | $120,440 | $237,320 | 180 | $183,984 |
| 15 | MNMinnesota | $171,220 | $152,410 | $284,820 | 110 | $173,614 |
| 16 | LALouisiana | $166,240 | $101,870 | $189,710 | 40 | $188,466 |
| 17 | NMNew Mexico | $165,340 | $160,090 | $203,210 | 580 | $179,304 |
| 18 | TNTennessee | $165,010 | $107,700 | $236,920 | 240 | $179,612 |
| 19 | NJNew Jersey | $163,270 | $120,820 | $222,140 | 470 | $150,057 |
| 20 | OHOhio | $162,900 | $118,060 | $239,360 | 630 | $175,588 |
| 21 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $157,040 | $123,090 | $195,190 | 480 | $142,892 |
| 22 | UTUtah | $156,760 | $119,860 | $229,490 | 30 | $158,561 |
| 23 | RIRhode Island | $155,150 | $111,240 | $187,080 | N/A | $151,691 |
| 24 | NVNevada | $154,030 | $107,530 | $165,110 | 50 | $154,062 |
| 25 | VAVirginia | $145,040 | $112,570 | $195,190 | 940 | $143,456 |
| 26 | GAGeorgia | $144,870 | $106,870 | $240,030 | 160 | $150,447 |
| 27 | MOMissouri | $140,460 | $96,720 | $227,810 | 90 | $154,663 |
| 28 | ALAlabama | $139,330 | $103,570 | $195,190 | 280 | $156,863 |
| 29 | SCSouth Carolina | $138,400 | $110,600 | $172,350 | 420 | $147,628 |
| 30 | ILIllinois | $137,140 | $82,110 | $175,510 | 1,590 | $137,198 |
| 31 | ARArkansas | $135,820 | $110,390 | $175,050 | 60 | $156,228 |
| 32 | IDIdaho | $135,150 | $108,480 | $175,150 | N/A | $141,527 |
| 33 | WAWashington | $134,790 | $110,940 | $174,630 | 450 | $125,957 |
| 34 | AZArizona | $130,500 | $110,430 | $197,260 | 120 | $129,622 |
| 35 | MSMississippi | $129,970 | $68,220 | $160,320 | 80 | $149,472 |
| 36 | HIHawaii | $117,190 | $98,680 | $243,740 | 40 | $106,584 |
| 37 | MAMassachusetts | $106,410 | $82,070 | $170,190 | 1,150 | $100,617 |
| 38 | INIndiana | $105,940 | $96,720 | $163,320 | 230 | $113,512 |
| 39 | COColorado | $104,580 | $82,340 | $168,240 | 1,050 | $101,483 |
| 40 | MTMontana | $103,800 | $74,710 | $139,140 | 30 | $109,673 |
| 41 | MIMichigan | $94,520 | $71,580 | $199,170 | 510 | $98,236 |
| 42 | SDSouth Dakota | $83,050 | $66,170 | $134,300 | 30 | $93,751 |
| 43 | DEDelaware | $82,590 | $64,570 | $210,590 | 50 | $82,749 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Physicists, that changes the ranking: Florida leads on raw pay at $225,390, while Oklahoma leads once prices are taken into account at $227,736.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Physicist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Physicists the most?
Florida reports the highest median wage for Physicists at $225,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Hampshire ($214,030) and Pennsylvania ($210,990).
Which state pays Physicists the least?
Delaware reports the lowest median for Physicists at $82,590 a year, $142,800 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Physicists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Oklahoma first at $227,736 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $200,050. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.