SOC 19-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Physicists — Texas
Texas · 4 metro areas compared
At $184,040, median pay for Physicists in Texas tracks the national median of $172,250 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.0%
- Openings per year
- 1,700
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
8.7% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Texas.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $184,040, median pay for Physicists in Texas tracks the national median of $172,250 closely. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $95,530 and $253,070. The lowest tenth earn under $69,960, while the highest tenth earn more than $289,950.
The area has 580 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.31 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Among the 43 states with published data for this occupation, Texas ranks 7th by median wage. Houston leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $199,770. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 21st of 794 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $69,960 | −59.4% |
| 25th | $95,530 | −44.5% |
| Median (50th) | $184,040 | +6.8% |
| 75th | $253,070 | +46.9% |
| 90th | $289,950 | +68.3% |
| Mean | $176,530 | +2.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Texas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | $199,770 | 140 | |
| 2 | San Antonio | $194,290 | 100 | |
| 3 | Dallas | $156,750 | 80 | |
| 4 | Austin | $107,340 | 120 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Texas run 2.9% below the national average, so the median of $184,040 goes as far as $189,537 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 10.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$184,040as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$189,537US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $184,040 a year, 6.8% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $69,960 to $289,950 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 580 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 7th of 43 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Houston, at $199,770.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Physicists in Texas?
The median annual wage is $184,040, or $88.48 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $172,250, so pay in Texas is 6.8% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Texas earns more than $289,950 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $69,960 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Houston, at $199,770 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 580 jobs in this occupation in Texas. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data