How much does a theoretical physicist make?

Theoretical physicists make an average base salary between $40,000 and $103,000 a year as of June 2022. The average annual base salary for a theoretical physicist is $80,754.

Theoretical physicists receive an average bonus between $2,000 and $24,000 and can earn between $900 and $69,000 in profit sharing. The average total pay for a theoretical physicist is between $40,000 and $142,000.

The following salaries are broken down by how many years someone has worked as a physicist:

• < 1 year experience: $70,000
• 1-4 years: $80,000
• 5-9 years: $93,000
• 10-19 years: $88,000

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly mean wage for physicists of all kinds is $72.88 and the mean annual wage is $151,580 as of May 2021.

The 5 top paying states for physicists of all kinds are:

1. Pennsylvania: $96.73 (hourly mean wage)/$201,200 (mean annual wage)

2. Kansas: $88.27/$183,600

3. Arizona: $84.38/$175,510

4. California: $83.39/$173,440

5. Missouri: $81.62/$169,760

For more information about how to become a theoretical physicist, check out this article: Become a Theoretical Physicist: Education and Career Roadmap