Physicists in California

Considering a career as a Physicist in California?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Physicists in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Physicists in California is growing faster than average.

• Physicists in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Physicist Career?

• Engineering
• Engineering Physics
• Engineering & Applied Physics
• Physical Sciences
• Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Astrophysics
• Physics
• General Physics
• Atomic/Molecular Physics
• Elementary Particle Physics
• Plasma & High-Temperature Physics
• Nuclear Physics
• Optics/Optical Sciences
• Condensed Matter & Materials Physics
• Acoustics
• Theoretical & Mathematical Physics
• Other Physics
• Health Professions
• Public Health
• Health/Medical Physics

How Many Physicists Work in California?

In California, there were 3,200 people working as Physicists in the year 2018.

There were 2,920 Physicists employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 280 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 220 Physicists working in it, which means California has more Physicists than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Physicists in this state are growing at a rate of 16.7% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 14.5%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 300 annual job openings, and 3,500 total jobs in 2026 for Physicists in this state.

Nationwide, the prediction is 1,700 annual jobs and 20,500 total jobs in 2026.

What do Physicists Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Physicists ranged from $59,600 to $169,060 with $112,980 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $28.65 to $81.28. The median hourly rate was $54.32.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $54.3 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $0.02.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Physicists

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Physicists.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	1,350	$125,180
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	500	$90,570
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	380	$112,730
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	220	$120,820
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	90	$62,550
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	60	$71,160

Top States for Physicists Employment

The table below shows the states where most Physicists work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	3,200	$112,980
Maryland	1,950	$125,660
New Mexico	1,770	$148,620
Texas	1,000	$112,420
New York	950	$126,740
Colorado	930	$100,850
Illinois	810	$111,160
Virginia	750	$102,220
District of Columbia	670	$146,890
Michigan	510	$81,650
Washington	500	$103,900
Ohio	440	$117,870
Tennessee	440	$126,500
New Jersey	370	$119,930
Massachusetts	360	$145,570
North Carolina	330	$133,650
Pennsylvania	320	$132,410
Indiana	260	$0
Florida	240	$124,070
South Carolina	200	$104,700

Below are the states where Physicists get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Oklahoma	$170,280
Wisconsin	$154,070
New Mexico	$148,620
District of Columbia	$146,890
Massachusetts	$145,570
Utah	$138,100
North Carolina	$133,650
Pennsylvania	$132,410
Minnesota	$128,110
Louisiana	$127,630

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By A. T. Service under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.