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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

19-2012 Physicists

Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories. Excludes “Biochemists and Biophysicists” (19-1021).


National estimates for Physicists
Industry profile for Physicists
Geographic profile for Physicists

National estimates for Physicists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Physicists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
18,350 1.7 % $ 76.09 $ 158,270 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Physicists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 38.92 $ 54.14 $ 74.85 $ 89.58 $ 111.99
Annual Wage (2) $ 80,950 $ 112,610 $ 155,680 $ 186,330 $ 232,940


Industry profile for Physicists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Physicists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Physicists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Physicists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 7,390 0.80 $ 81.71 $ 169,950
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 2,980 0.14 $ 66.09 $ 137,470
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,720 0.09 $ 51.62 $ 107,360
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,550 0.03 $ 104.18 $ 216,680
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 650 0.04 $ 76.58 $ 159,290

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Physicists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 7,390 0.80 $ 81.71 $ 169,950
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 2,980 0.14 $ 66.09 $ 137,470
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,720 0.09 $ 51.62 $ 107,360
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 250 0.09 $ 102.63 $ 213,470
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 310 0.07 $ 72.85 $ 151,530

Top paying industries for Physicists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Physicians 570 0.02 $ 106.86 $ 222,260
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,550 0.03 $ 104.18 $ 216,680
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 250 0.09 $ 102.63 $ 213,470
Outpatient Care Centers 200 0.02 $ 90.51 $ 188,260
Employment Services 260 0.01 $ 90.10 $ 187,410


Geographic profile for Physicists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Physicists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Physicists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of physicists by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Physicists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 5,080 0.28 2.34 $ 84.91 $ 176,610
Maryland 1,270 0.48 3.93 $ 69.22 $ 143,970
Colorado 1,030 0.36 3.01 $ 68.59 $ 142,670
New York 970 0.10 0.85 $ 80.98 $ 168,430
Illinois 900 0.15 1.25 $ 71.05 $ 147,790


Map of location quotient of physicists by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Physicists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 660 0.94 7.77 $ 65.66 $ 136,570
New Mexico 770 0.91 7.52 $ 86.83 $ 180,600
Maryland 1,270 0.48 3.93 $ 69.22 $ 143,970
Colorado 1,030 0.36 3.01 $ 68.59 $ 142,670
California 5,080 0.28 2.34 $ 84.91 $ 176,610


Map of annual mean wages of physicists by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Physicists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Arizona 150 0.05 0.39 $ 88.32 $ 183,710
New Mexico 770 0.91 7.52 $ 86.83 $ 180,600
Georgia 110 0.02 0.19 $ 85.66 $ 178,170
New Jersey 320 0.08 0.63 $ 85.10 $ 177,010
California 5,080 0.28 2.34 $ 84.91 $ 176,610



Map of employment of physicists by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Physicists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,830 0.59 4.89 $ 69.46 $ 144,480
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 880 0.09 0.77 $ 86.35 $ 179,620
Boulder, CO 880 4.52 37.43 $ 69.75 $ 145,070
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 820 0.18 1.50 $ 71.82 $ 149,380
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 420 0.15 1.26 $ 77.16 $ 160,490
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 380 0.06 0.51 $ 71.10 $ 147,890
Albuquerque, NM 370 0.94 7.75 $ 81.60 $ 169,720
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 310 0.24 1.98 $ 74.38 $ 154,710
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 260 0.09 0.76 $ 75.50 $ 157,050
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 250 0.22 1.84 $ 88.41 $ 183,880


Map of location quotient of physicists by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Physicists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 880 4.52 37.43 $ 69.75 $ 145,070
Idaho Falls, ID 170 2.12 17.57 $ 62.06 $ 129,080
California-Lexington Park, MD 60 1.19 9.83 $ 60.39 $ 125,610
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 220 1.02 8.45 $ 41.16 $ 85,610
Albuquerque, NM 370 0.94 7.75 $ 81.60 $ 169,720
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,830 0.59 4.89 $ 69.46 $ 144,480
Las Cruces, NM 40 0.51 4.22 $ 54.09 $ 112,500
Dayton, OH 180 0.49 4.03 $ 66.19 $ 137,670
Huntsville, AL 110 0.44 3.66 $ 64.65 $ 134,470
Ann Arbor, MI 90 0.41 3.37 $ 50.99 $ 106,060


Map of annual mean wages of physicists by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Physicists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 110 0.05 0.39 $ 94.43 $ 196,410
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 190 0.06 0.48 $ 92.31 $ 192,000
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 70 0.02 0.20 $ 90.27 $ 187,770
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 250 0.22 1.84 $ 88.41 $ 183,880
Pittsburgh, PA 30 0.03 0.27 $ 87.28 $ 181,550
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 880 0.09 0.77 $ 86.35 $ 179,620
St. Louis, MO-IL 50 0.04 0.29 $ 84.55 $ 175,860
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 180 0.04 0.37 $ 83.23 $ 173,110
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 50 0.08 0.67 $ 82.54 $ 171,670
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 170 0.17 1.37 $ 81.79 $ 170,120

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Physicists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 250 4.94 40.86 $ 60.11 $ 125,020

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Physicists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 250 4.94 40.86 $ 60.11 $ 125,020

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Physicists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 96.06 $ 199,800
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 250 4.94 40.86 $ 60.11 $ 125,020


About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024