Life & Physical Science
Physicists
SOC 19-2012
Explore the fundamental laws of matter, energy, and the universe.
The job
Median pay
$172k
$112k to $223k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+7.2% projected
Openings a year
1k
BLS projection
Typical education
Doctoral
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
3/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
76th pct
More exposed than 76% of occupations · modeled estimate · 77th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
65/100
Key skills
- Science
- Reading Comprehension
- Mathematics
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5,930 | 0.3 | 2.5× | $207k |
| Illinois | 1,590 | 0.3 | 2.0× | $137k |
| Maryland | 1,200 | 0.4 | 3.3× | $174k |
| Massachusetts | 1,150 | 0.3 | 2.4× | $106k |
| New York | 1,140 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $182k |
| Colorado | 1,050 | 0.4 | 2.8× | $105k |
| Virginia | 940 | 0.2 | 1.7× | $145k |
| Ohio | 630 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $163k |
| New Mexico | 580 | 0.7 | 5.1× | $165k |
| Texas | 580 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $184k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 510 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $95k |
| Washington DC | 480 | 0.7 | 5.2× | $157k |
| New Jersey | 470 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $163k |
| Washington | 450 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $135k |
| South Carolina | 420 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $138k |
| Florida | 340 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $225k |
| Alabama | 280 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $139k |
| Tennessee | 240 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $165k |
| Indiana | 230 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $106k |
| Pennsylvania | 230 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $211k |
| Wisconsin | 180 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $173k |
| Idaho | 174 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $135k~ |
| Kansas | 174 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $152k~ |
| Georgia | 160 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $145k |
| North Carolina | 150 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $174k |
| Nebraska | 130 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $140k~ |
| Arizona | 120 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $131k |
| Iowa | 110 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $178k |
| Minnesota | 110 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $171k |
| West Virginia | 101 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $143k~ |
| Alaska | 96 | 0.3 | 2.2× | $180k~ |
| Missouri | 90 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $140k |
| Oregon | 90 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $200k |
| Mississippi | 80 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $130k |
| North Dakota | 64 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $150k~ |
| Wyoming | 61 | 0.2 | 1.6× | $153k~ |
| Arkansas | 60 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $136k |
| Connecticut | 60 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $180k |
| Maine | 60 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $157k~ |
| Rhode Island | 59 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $155k~ |
| Delaware | 50 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $83k |
| Kentucky | 50 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $181k |
| Nevada | 50 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $154k |
| Vermont | 45 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $157k~ |
| Hawaii | 40 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $117k |
| Louisiana | 40 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $166k |
| Oklahoma | 40 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $200k |
| Montana | 30 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $104k |
| New Hampshire | 30 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $214k |
| South Dakota | 30 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $83k |
| Utah | 30 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $157k |
Top metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1,520 jobs · $172k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN1,510 jobs · $137k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1,070 jobs · $182k median
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1,060 jobs · $106k median
- Boulder, CO860 jobs · $105k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA550 jobs · $160k median
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA440 jobs · $173k median
- Albuquerque, NM330 jobs · $165k median
Where this ranks
Explore Physicists interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.