SOC 19-2012 · Life, physical and social science
Physicists prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $212,638 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL down to $103,147 in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA, a spread of $109,491 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $180,586 | $212,638 | $244,670 | $276,723 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $172,432 | $208,229 | $244,026 | $279,822 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $150,051 | $180,482 | $210,912 | $241,342 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $132,018 | $170,851 | $209,664 | $248,498 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $130,666 | $169,478 | $208,312 | $247,125 |
| Richmond, VA | $133,432 | $167,669 | $201,906 | $236,142 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $147,139 | $167,149 | $187,179 | $207,189 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $126,818 | $157,955 | $189,072 | $220,210 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $119,725 | $155,210 | $190,715 | $226,200 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $116,709 | $153,234 | $189,779 | $226,304 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $108,701 | $149,802 | $190,923 | $232,024 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $93,413 | $144,706 | $195,998 | $247,291 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $98,322 | $142,022 | $185,723 | $229,424 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $114,254 | $141,814 | $169,395 | $196,955 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $111,613 | $138,590 | $165,568 | $192,546 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $92,394 | $137,093 | $181,771 | $226,470 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $109,283 | $135,990 | $162,677 | $189,384 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $92,373 | $135,179 | $178,006 | $220,813 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98,405 | $131,726 | $165,048 | $198,370 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $99,632 | $126,235 | $152,838 | $179,442 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $89,856 | $124,613 | $159,349 | $194,106 |
| Columbus, OH | $80,683 | $124,280 | $167,898 | $211,494 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $97,386 | $119,267 | $141,170 | $163,051 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $73,674 | $117,915 | $162,178 | $206,419 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $82,618 | $113,922 | $145,246 | $176,550 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $81,806 | $113,360 | $144,914 | $176,467 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $74,443 | $113,339 | $152,235 | $191,131 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $83,616 | $111,155 | $138,674 | $166,213 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $66,082 | $105,747 | $145,392 | $185,058 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $76,502 | $103,147 | $129,792 | $156,437 |
30 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 187 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level I. The median wage actually offered was $87,951 a year, from 212 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 115 | 61.5% |
| Level II | 39 | 20.9% |
| Level III | 21 | 11.2% |
| Level IV | 12 | 6.4% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Physicists with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.