What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Entry Level Physicist?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Entry Level Physicist jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Hercules, CA (69.3% above average), followed by Jersey City, NJ and Fresno, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Hercules, CA $160,482 $13,373 $3,086 $77.15 Jersey City, NJ $151,618 $12,634 $2,915 $72.89 Fresno, CA $151,236 $12,603 $2,908 $72.71 Happy Valley, OR $149,099 $12,424 $2,867 $71.68 Monrovia, CA $146,833 $12,236 $2,823 $70.59 05451, VT $146,138 $12,178 $2,810 $70.26 Edison, NJ $143,158 $11,929 $2,753 $68.83 Papillion, NE $142,460 $11,871 $2,739 $68.49 Hudson, WI $142,058 $11,838 $2,731 $68.30 Coeur d'Alene, ID $140,046 $11,670 $2,693 $67.33

Entry Level Physicist

Entry Level Physicist Salary

Q: How much does an Entry Level Physicist make?

The average annual pay for an entry level physicist in the United States is $94,805 a year — that works out to approximately $45.58 an hour. The middle 80% of Entry Level Physicists earn between $45,000 (10th percentile) and $176,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Entry Level Physicist Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Entry Level Physicist in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Certified Labview Architect at $33,951 (35.8%) above Entry Level Physicist. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Certified Labview Architect $128,756 $10,729 $2,476 $61.90 Microchip Design Engineer $127,979 $10,664 $2,461 $61.53 Traction Power Engineer $125,176 $10,431 $2,407 $60.18 Contract Artificial Intelligence Engineer $101,781 $8,481 $1,957 $48.93 Entry Level Biotechnology $48,615 $4,051 $934 $23.37

$39.5K

$71K

$226.5K

$94,805

/year

$45.58

/hour

Entry Level Physicist Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$94,805

Columbus

Ohio

$91,572

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How much does an Entry Level Physicist make?

As of Aug 2, 2026, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Physicist in the United States is $94,805 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $45.58 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,823/week or $7,900/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $226,500 and as low as $39,500, the majority of Entry Level Physicist salaries currently range between $59,000 (25th percentile) to $112,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $176,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Entry Level Physicist varies greatly (by as much as 53000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

An Entry Level Physicist in your area makes on average $91,572 per year, or $3,233 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $94,805. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Entry Level Physicist salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Entry Level Physicist jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Entry Level Physicist on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry Level Physicist Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Entry Level Physicist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Hercules, CA, , with Jersey City, NJ, and Fresno, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Fresno, CA, beats the national average by $56,431 (59.5%), and Hercules, CA, furthers that trend with another $65,677 (69.3%) above the $94,805 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Entry Level Physicist appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 13% between Hercules, CA, and Coeur d'Alene, ID, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Entry Level Physicist role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Hercules, CA	$160,482	$13,373	$3,086	$77.15
Jersey City, NJ	$151,618	$12,634	$2,915	$72.89
Fresno, CA	$151,236	$12,603	$2,908	$72.71
Happy Valley, OR	$149,099	$12,424	$2,867	$71.68
Monrovia, CA	$146,833	$12,236	$2,823	$70.59
05451, VT	$146,138	$12,178	$2,810	$70.26
Edison, NJ	$143,158	$11,929	$2,753	$68.83
Papillion, NE	$142,460	$11,871	$2,739	$68.49
Hudson, WI	$142,058	$11,838	$2,731	$68.30
Coeur d'Alene, ID	$140,046	$11,670	$2,693	$67.33

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Entry Level Physicist Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Entry Level Physicist category.

For example Certified Labview Architect jobs pay as much as $33,951 (35.8%) more than the average Entry Level Physicist salary of $94,805. If you're qualified, finding work as an Certified Labview Architect may help you make more money than that of the average Entry Level Physicist position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Certified Labview Architect	$128,756	$10,729	$2,476	$61.90
Microchip Design Engineer	$127,979	$10,664	$2,461	$61.53
Traction Power Engineer	$125,176	$10,431	$2,407	$60.18
Contract Artificial Intelligence Engineer	$101,781	$8,481	$1,957	$48.93
Entry Level Biotechnology	$48,615	$4,051	$934	$23.37

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Entry Level Physicist salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $94,805 per year or $45.58 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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