Astronomers
Median $128,820
Occupation · SOC 19-2099
Physical Scientists, All Other: pay and where the jobs are
What physical scientists, all other earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$122,570 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $129,230
- Median hourly wage
- $58.93
- Mean hourly wage
- $62.13
- Employment
- 22,300
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-2099.
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See where your pay falls among physical scientists, all other nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do physical scientists, all other make?
The median annual wage for physical scientists, all other was $122,570 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $67,000 and the highest-paid 10% more than $195,190. As an hourly rate, the median is $58.93. About 22,300 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in District of Columbia ($156,730), Minnesota ($147,890) and North Dakota ($147,650). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in North Dakota.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for physical scientists, all other looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $67,000 | $32.21 | $5,583 | $4,664 |
| 25th percentile | $86,620 | $41.64 | $7,218 | $5,814 |
| Median | $122,570 | $58.93 | $10,214 | $7,920 |
| 75th percentile | $161,890 | $77.83 | $13,491 | $10,160 |
| 90th percentile | $195,190 | $93.84 | $16,266 | $12,057 |
Physical Scientists, All Other: pay by state
40 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$124,287 take-home in national prices
2
$110,682 take-home in national prices
3
$108,661 take-home in national prices
Where a median physical scientists, all other paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 790 | $156,730 | $101,400 | $195,190 | $108,037 | $98,304 |
| Minnesota | 540 | $147,890 | $64,980 | $223,980 | $102,922 | $104,361 |
| North Dakota | 70 | $147,650 | $82,840 | $149,650 | $110,565 | $124,287 |
| Maryland | 1,810 | $141,290 | $76,820 | $195,190 | $101,255 | $96,471 |
| South Carolina | 70 | $141,130 | $88,610 | $187,740 | $101,341 | $108,099 |
| Massachusetts | 350 | $138,380 | $74,590 | $195,770 | $98,513 | $93,151 |
| Georgia | 1,020 | $137,680 | $86,790 | $174,730 | $99,249 | $103,069 |
| Alabama | 140 | $135,350 | $97,470 | $206,060 | $98,311 | $110,682 |
| Pennsylvania | 460 | $134,780 | $76,440 | $195,190 | $99,156 | $101,623 |
| Colorado | 710 | $134,440 | $82,760 | $225,810 | $97,357 | $94,474 |
| Washington | 450 | $133,980 | $94,540 | $195,190 | $100,983 | $94,365 |
| Florida | 340 | $131,690 | $88,610 | $263,640 | $101,276 | $97,933 |
| California | 2,320 | $130,610 | $81,360 | $211,150 | $90,938 | $82,134 |
| Tennessee | 120 | $129,570 | $46,680 | $241,340 | $99,827 | $108,661 |
| Arizona | 170 | $125,270 | $88,610 | $165,400 | $94,150 | $93,517 |
| New Mexico | 240 | $123,820 | $77,230 | $192,480 | $91,161 | $98,860 |
| Alaska | 140 | $120,240 | $83,600 | $171,850 | $93,148 | $91,001 |
| Michigan | 130 | $118,870 | $81,540 | $164,380 | $87,654 | $91,100 |
| New York | 1,510 | $117,820 | $67,220 | $175,690 | $85,362 | $79,097 |
| Utah | 250 | $115,920 | $64,390 | $149,430 | $85,221 | $86,201 |
| Hawaii | 100 | $112,880 | $69,600 | $169,000 | $81,076 | $73,738 |
| New Hampshire | 210 | $112,370 | $66,850 | $195,190 | $87,882 | $84,368 |
| Oklahoma | 80 | $112,260 | $84,220 | $161,890 | $83,299 | $94,827 |
| North Carolina | 650 | $110,030 | $62,320 | $169,040 | $82,355 | $87,309 |
| New Jersey | 590 | $109,990 | $57,630 | $182,920 | $80,739 | $74,205 |
| Oregon | 290 | $109,580 | $72,830 | $147,600 | $77,013 | $74,509 |
| Illinois | 580 | $108,970 | $53,140 | $169,480 | $80,241 | $80,275 |
| Mississippi | 380 | $108,890 | $61,110 | $153,570 | $81,811 | $94,086 |
| Ohio | 430 | $108,790 | $63,460 | $174,640 | $82,809 | $89,258 |
| Nebraska | 40 | $101,440 | $74,670 | $138,360 | $76,457 | $84,855 |
| Texas | 2,310 | $100,920 | $59,170 | $180,460 | $79,827 | $82,248 |
| Connecticut | 370 | $99,990 | $80,080 | $278,160 | $73,924 | $71,348 |
| Wisconsin | 70 | $97,470 | $63,130 | $161,890 | $73,123 | $77,712 |
| Puerto Rico | 70 | $97,150 | $41,530 | $136,990 | — | — |
| Montana | 100 | $94,520 | $52,790 | $122,930 | $71,345 | $75,382 |
| Louisiana | 280 | $94,320 | $68,930 | $161,890 | $72,741 | $82,466 |
| Kentucky | 260 | $81,260 | $41,370 | $108,410 | $63,270 | $70,176 |
| Iowa | 100 | $80,810 | $61,110 | $177,200 | $63,261 | $72,082 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $69,240 | $63,130 | $105,370 | $57,540 | $62,078 |
| Indiana | 1,240 | $68,670 | $52,600 | $105,510 | $55,143 | $59,085 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-2099. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.