occupation · 19-2099 · detailed
Physical Scientists, All Other — wages and employment
Physical Scientists, All Other earned a median annual wage of $117,960 in the United States in May 2024, with 22,580 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Physical Scientists, All Other earned a median annual wage of $117,960 in the United States in May 2024, with 22,580 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $61,990 or less, the best-paid tenth $191,880 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $112,280 to $117,960, +5.1 %. The best-paying state is Minnesota at $167,110; the lowest Puerto Rico at $51,530. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $174,810. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 22,580 | $117,960 | $123,070 | $61,990 | $82,450 | $154,900 | $191,880 | $56.71 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 20,820 | $112,280 | $119,050 | $59,590 | $81,210 | $148,430 | $183,500 | $53.98 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $167,110 | 600 |
| District of Columbia | $157,980 | 860 |
| Massachusetts | $143,640 | 520 |
| Maryland | $143,210 | 1,900 |
| North Dakota | $138,430 | — |
| Washington | $135,080 | 510 |
| South Carolina | $134,430 | 100 |
| Georgia | $131,770 | 1,040 |
| Alabama | $131,560 | 150 |
| Colorado | $130,290 | 830 |
| California | $128,250 | 2,220 |
| Virginia | $128,040 | 1,560 |
| New Mexico | $127,090 | 240 |
| Florida | $122,600 | 390 |
| Arizona | $119,920 | 170 |
| Kansas | $114,820 | 130 |
| New York | $114,430 | 1,600 |
| Alaska | $114,120 | 180 |
| Tennessee | $113,730 | 110 |
| North Carolina | $111,490 | 570 |
| Hawaii | $111,380 | 110 |
| Missouri | $111,170 | 100 |
| Oklahoma | $110,300 | 70 |
| Oregon | $109,120 | 250 |
| Illinois | $108,630 | 560 |
| Utah | $106,850 | 120 |
| Mississippi | $105,500 | 380 |
| Michigan | $105,480 | 190 |
| Ohio | $102,750 | 500 |
| New Jersey | $102,350 | 820 |
| Nebraska | $99,490 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,860 | 680 |
| Texas | $98,460 | 1,810 |
| Wisconsin | $93,910 | 80 |
| Idaho | $89,860 | 110 |
| Montana | $85,160 | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $85,030 | 240 |
| Kentucky | $80,870 | 250 |
| Iowa | $79,790 | 30 |
| Louisiana | $74,990 | 350 |
| Wyoming | $65,960 | 60 |
| Indiana | $64,300 | 1,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,530 | 50 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $174,810 | 300 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $170,960 | 100 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $168,870 | 540 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $162,610 | 2,720 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $155,080 | 80 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $147,320 | 30 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $142,810 | 30 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $141,980 | 520 |
| Huntsville, AL | $139,800 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $138,480 | 360 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $138,060 | 30 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $137,820 | 130 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $134,120 | 450 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $133,540 | 90 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $132,750 | 260 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $132,490 | 560 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $132,270 | 30 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $131,770 | 940 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $131,730 | 1,030 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $130,980 | 50 |
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