Physicists: Career Profile
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
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What Do Physicists Do?
Typical responsibilities of physicists include:
- Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.
- Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.
- Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
- Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.
- Write research proposals to receive funding.
- Teach physics to students.
- Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.
What Physicists Need to Know
Successful physicists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Physicists Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aerodynamicist
- Aerophysicist
- Astrophysicist
- Atmospheric Physicist
- Atomic Spectroscopist
- Biophysics Scientist
- Cloud Physicist
- Computational Physicist
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 109,390 physicists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Physicists
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $111,776 |
| Hourly median | $53.74 |
| 10th percentile | $66,634 |
| 25th percentile | $89,205 |
| 75th percentile | $134,347 |
| 90th percentile | $156,918 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Physicists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $222,550 |
| Florida | $209,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $208,470 |
| Arizona | $190,960 |
| Oregon | $183,860 |
| California | $180,900 |
| Missouri | $180,450 |
| New Hampshire | $179,440 |
| New Mexico | $175,960 |
| New York | $174,160 |
| Wisconsin | $174,010 |
| Tennessee | $173,660 |
| Connecticut | $171,630 |
| North Carolina | $170,690 |
| Texas | $170,450 |
| Kentucky | $168,660 |
| New Jersey | $168,610 |
| Virginia | $164,180 |
| Maryland | $163,950 |
| Massachusetts | $153,890 |
| District of Columbia | $153,340 |
| Colorado | $144,670 |
| Ohio | $135,550 |
| Utah | $133,900 |
| Idaho | $132,060 |
| Arkansas | $131,880 |
| Georgia | $131,500 |
| Illinois | $131,260 |
| South Carolina | $131,100 |
| Iowa | $120,810 |
| Mississippi | $120,640 |
| Washington | $120,080 |
| Nevada | $116,080 |
| Alabama | $114,690 |
| Maine | $114,610 |
| Indiana | $110,410 |
| Michigan | $107,640 |
| Oklahoma | $84,570 |
| Delaware | $82,780 |
| South Dakota | $78,390 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for physicists shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $177,089 | 32.1% | 2.35 |
| Southwest | $171,869 | 7.5% | 3.33 |
| Middle Atlantic | $170,907 | 19.4% | 2.51 |
| New England | $156,887 | 3.2% | 1.02 |
| Southeast | $155,127 | 14.4% | 1.34 |
| Plains States | $154,808 | 1.4% | 0.37 |
| Rocky Mountains | $142,603 | 6.4% | 2.52 |
| Great Lakes | $130,085 | 15.7% | 1.40 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Physicists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | TN | $226,750 | |
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $225,930 | 170 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | FL | $219,070 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $215,340 | 30 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $214,520 | 430 |
| Richmond, VA | VA | $212,950 | 50 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | TX | $212,050 | 130 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | PA | $211,600 |
Which Industries Hire Physicists
Most physicists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11,260 | $166,290 |
| Educational Services | 2,820 | $109,250 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,750 | $225,930 |
| Manufacturing | 710 | $163,680 |
| Utilities | 110 | $104,200 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 30 | $170,480 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Physicists Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Eclipse IDE (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- File versioning software: Git (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for physicists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Computer and Information Research Scientists (Supplemental)
- Mathematicians (Primary-Short)
- Statisticians (Supplemental)
- Data Scientists (Primary-Short)
- Aerospace Engineers (Supplemental)
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Chemical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Nuclear Engineers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for physicists commonly pursue programs in:
Physical Sciences
12 programs across 3 majors
Engineering
1 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-2012.00 (Physicists).
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