What is the highest salary for Physicist?

The highest salary for Physicist is $228,537 per year, $19,045 per month or $110 per hour.

What is the lowest salary for Physicist?

The lowest salary for Physicist is $148,134 per year, $12,344 per month or $71 per hour.

What is the Salary Trend for Physicists?

Physicists are generally paid salaries on par with those of other Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) researchers. Physicists who work for the federal government or private sector firms generally earn more than those who work for colleges or universities. Physicists can improve their earnings through promotion and securing new grants, which generally occur after repeated publication in top scientific journals. Applied and engineering related subfields are generally in higher demand than theoretical subfields, so prospective physicists who develop applied expertise may command higher salaries. Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Do Physicists Make Good Money in United States?

Approximately 71% physicists anonymously that said they were satisfied with their salaries on Glassdoor. Opportunities to earn $45,842.08 in this role may include profit-sharing and bonus programs offered by the employer. Work setting and years of experience may also increase your physicist salary.

How Much Does a Physicist Make Over Time in United States?

You can expect to earn entry-level compensation of about $122,992.17 when you follow the typical physicist career path . Scientists in this field who have reached the highest level of compensation can earn about $277,825.59. You can earn well above the average physician salary of $136,733.40 if you work in the federal government or a private research setting.

How to Make More Money as a Physicist

If you want to increase your physicist salary, consider earning specialty certifications in high-paying niches. Examples include medical physics, computational physics, solar physics, laser engineering, and optics. After you earn your doctorate in physics, you can seek fellowship and research opportunities through professional organizations such as the American Physical Society, the American Association of Physics in Medicine, and the American Institute of Physics. Conducting research can lead to a higher salary as a physicist if you create intellectual property and successfully apply for patents. While college and university jobs tend to have the lowest level of physicist pay, they open up these valuable opportunities.

How to Negotiate a Higher Salary as a Physicist

If you're looking for a job as a physicist , prepare for a successful salary negotiation by doing your research. Find out how much others in this field make with similar experience and credentials with attention to both work setting and geographic area. Once you have a clear idea of how much you can expect to make as a physicist, you can set a target salary amount for negotiations. Don't forget to increase that number by about 20% to give yourself room to respond to offers and potential counter-offers. You should also consider the value of benefits as part of your total compensation as a physicist.

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Physicist Salaries

How much does Physicist make?

Q: How much does Physicist make?

The average salary for Physicist is $182,575 per year or $88 per hour, with top earners making up to $277,826 (90th percentile). Typically, pay ranges from $148,134 (25th percentile) to $228,537 (75th percentile) annually. Salary estimates are based on 810 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Physicist employees.

Total pay range

$148K - $229K/yr

$183K/yrMedian total pay

Pay breakdown

$114K - $164K/yrBase pay

$34K - $64K/yrAdditional pay

About our data

Last updated Apr 10, 2025810 Salaries submitted

How accurate is a total pay range of $148K-$229K/yr?

Your input helps Glassdoor refine our pay estimates over time.

Popular companies for Physicists

Brookhaven National Laboratory3.9★

$112K - $154K/yr Total pay

$131K Median

Physicist

National Institute of Standards and Technology4.1★

$117K - $161K/yr Total pay

$137K Median

Physicist

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory4.3★

$146K - $206K/yr Total pay

$174K Median

Physicist

Argonne National Laboratory4.3★

$109K - $151K/yr Total pay

$128K Median

Physicist

Northrop Grumman3.8★

$109K - $157K/yr Total pay

$131K Median

Physicist

Viewing 1 - 5 of 298

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Illustration of an economist reviewing pay data

What is the pay outlook for Research & Science?

Research and science jobs offer pay well above the national average. Increased demand for STEM workers is increasing salaries in research and science. Jobs in these fields, however, often require higher education at the graduate level and/or specialized training. While domain-specific expertise gives workers in these fields access to very specialized jobs, there are also many employers who hire STEM workers for their general data and technology skills.

Top paying industries

The top 5 paying industries for Physicist in United States are Manufacturing with a median total pay of $172,967, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $142,662, Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $137,106, Aerospace & Defense with a median total pay of $130,825, and Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $127,665.

Manufacturing

Top paying companies in Manufacturing for Physicist are Applied Materials and Polaris Sensor Technologies.

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Physicist Salaries

How much does Physicist make?

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