National Salary Info » Physicists

Highest Paying Industries for Physicists

The top 56 highest paying industries for physicists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $165,000, specialty hospitals - privately owned is the highest paying industry for physicists. It is followed by hospitals - privately owned industry (average annual salary $164,470). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of physicists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 56 Highest Paying Industries for Physicists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$165,000	$67,070	90
2	Hospitals - Privately owned	$164,470	$89,430	1,060
3	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$164,430	$93,100	970
4	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$162,870	$90,580	1,060
5	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$162,870	$83,130	1,180
6	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$162,850	$53,760	120
7	Health Care and Social Assistance	$159,600	$84,840	1,880
8	Offices of Physicians	$156,050	$85,180	570
9	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$153,410	$86,190	50
10	Outpatient Care Centers	$152,930	$80,100	80
11	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$147,590	$85,440	710
12	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$146,830	$74,890	70
13	Hospitals - Local government owned	$146,830	$74,890	70
14	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$135,600	$94,600	40
15	Hospitals - State government owned	$133,710	$46,370	50
16	Employment Services	$126,740	$86,900	60
17	Administrative and Support Services	$126,740	$86,900	60
18	Oil and Gas Extraction	$120,450	$59,570	n/a
19	Mining	$120,410	$59,730	n/a
20	Engineering Services	$120,270	$61,110	390
21	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$119,130	$58,510	1,130
22	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$117,170	$68,110	4,970
23	Scientific Research and Development Services	$117,110	$68,070	4,980
24	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$116,980	$64,770	6,810
25	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$115,670	$55,840	40
26	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$115,260	$77,060	130
27	Machinery Manufacturing	$115,110	$85,950	120
28	Federal government, including USPS	$112,320	$76,130	3,070
29	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$112,320	$76,130	3,070
30	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$111,880	$63,160	270
31	Utilities	$111,880	$63,160	270
32	Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$111,380	$99,800	n/a
33	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$111,380	$99,800	n/a
34	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$111,090	$56,130	630
35	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$109,640	$61,060	70
36	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$108,990	$69,120	3,390
37	Federal, State, and Local Government	$108,990	$69,120	3,390
38	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$104,650	$58,170	310
39	Manufacturing	$100,180	$61,440	770
40	Testing Laboratories	$98,660	$46,670	240
41	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$98,300	$47,600	5,620
42	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$97,040	$56,010	230
43	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$96,890	$61,080	150
44	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$94,990	$47,150	n/a
45	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$91,680	$46,730	n/a
46	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$90,490	$69,840	170
47	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$90,390	$69,870	160
48	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$87,340	$53,840	60
49	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$70,660	$47,760	900
50	Educational Services - Privately owned	$70,660	$47,760	900
51	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$65,720	$42,700	3,010
52	Educational Services	$65,720	$42,700	3,010
53	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$65,060	$43,770	260
54	State government, including schools and hospitals	$63,970	$41,890	2,400
55	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$63,350	$41,720	2,090
56	Educational Services - State government owned	$63,350	$41,720	2,090