Georgia was 15.9% below the U.S. median for Physicists. It ranked 26 of 43 state areas with a published annual median. Neither comparison adjusts for cost of living, benefits, experience, employer mix, or hours.
Price-level context
What the local median may buy
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Georgia was 96.3, or 3.7% below the national price level. Its housing index was 88.7.
National-price-dollar proxy
$150,447
WageScope divides the published Physicists median by the BEA all-items index. This is a price-level comparison, not take-home pay, a personal budget, or a quality-of-life score.
Use the local pay range, same-source bench marks, job scale, price level, and survey care marks as separate facts. This guide stays tied to SOC 19-2012 and BLS area 13.
Questions, answered
Physicists pay in Georgia: common questions
What is the median wage for Physicists in Georgia?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS release published a median of $144,870 per year for Physicists in Georgia. This describes an occupation-area estimate, not a promised offer or an individual's pay.
Is Physicists pay higher in Georgia than nationally?
Georgia's published median was 15.9% below the U.S. median for the same occupation and release.
Does the wage estimate adjust for cost of living in Georgia?
No. The BLS wage is nominal. WageScope separately shows BEA's 2024 all-items Regional Price Parity of 96.3 and a transparent national-price-dollar proxy.
How many Physicists jobs does BLS estimate in Georgia?
BLS published an employment estimate of 160 wage and salary jobs for this exact row. It is a survey estimate, not a current opening count or forecast.
From market data to your evidence
Tailor for a real Physicists job, not a generic wage number.
Pick an eligible listing, then MeritLog can help you prepare from experience you have confirmed. WageScope never turns a BLS estimate into a qualification or résumé claim.
The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the Physicists median in Georgia at $144,870 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 19-2012 and BLS area 13.
BLS lists 160 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $179,130 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.
Georgia's Physicists median is 15.9% below the U.S. Physicists median of $172,250 on the same published median. The comparison uses the same SOC code and source period. It does not add price levels, taxes, benefits, hours, or a person's work history.
This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 19-2012 and area 13. SOC 19-2012 names Physicists. Area 13 names Georgia. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.
The 19-2012/13 row reports 160 wage and salary jobs, 0.03 jobs per 1,000 local jobs, and a 0.25 location quotient. Each value stays under the same two source keys.
For 19-2012/13, the annual median is $144,870 per year, while the matching mean is $179,130 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.
Area 13 reports 4,889,170 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $65,920. Its annual median is $48,170. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.4%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 19-2012 row.
The all-jobs wage ladder in Georgia runs from $27,930 at the 10th percentile to $122,470 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $35,700. The median is $48,170. The 75th percentile is $77,570. This is a place check, not a pay range for Physicists.
The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 13. They do not show related skills or a path into Physicists.
1. Area 13, SOC 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers: 145,030 jobs, $26,920 annual median, 29.67 jobs per 1,000, and 1.2 location quotient.
2. Area 13, SOC 41-2031, Retail Salespersons: 143,120 jobs, $30,840 annual median, 29.27 jobs per 1,000, and 1.17 location quotient.
3. Area 13, SOC 53-7062, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: 137,580 jobs, $38,480 annual median, 28.14 jobs per 1,000, and 1.48 location quotient.
Pay range
Read the Georgia wage ladder for Physicists
The 10th percentile is $79,860 per year. The 25th percentile is $106,870 per year. The median is $144,870 per year. The 75th percentile is $240,030 per year. The 90th percentile is $288,170 per year.
A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.
The middle half runs from $106,870 per year to $240,030 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $208,310. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.
Georgia has a annual median of $144,870 per year. No exact state row is linked for this area. The U.S. row has $172,250 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.
A state comparison is not available for Georgia. Georgia is 15.9% below the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.
The state and U.S. rows are bench marks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.
Georgia ranks 26 of 43 among states and territories with a published annual median for Physicists. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.
Rank 26 of 43 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.
The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.
23. Rhode Island has a Physicists median of $155,150 per year, Not published estimated jobs, and a location quotient of Not published.
24. Nevada has a Physicists median of $154,030 per year, 50 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.27.
25. Virginia has a Physicists median of $145,040 per year, 940 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.74.
27. Missouri has a Physicists median of $140,460 per year, 90 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.22.
28. Alabama has a Physicists median of $139,330 per year, 280 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.
Pay leaders
Where Physicists medians lead among states and territories
The rows below use the same SOC 19-2012, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same state map type. Florida has the highest published median in this set, at $225,390 per year. Georgia sits at $144,870 per year.
A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common Physicists is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.
Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey care marks, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.
1. Florida has a Physicists median of $225,390 per year, or $80,520 above Georgia. BLS lists 340 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 0.26.
2. New Hampshire has a Physicists median of $214,030 per year, or $69,160 above Georgia. BLS lists 30 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 0.38.
3. Pennsylvania has a Physicists median of $210,990 per year, or $66,120 above Georgia. BLS lists 230 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 0.28.
Job-base leaders
Where BLS counts the most Physicists jobs
California has the largest published state job estimate for Physicists in this same-source set, at 5,930 jobs. Georgia has 160. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.
A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.
Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.
1. California has 5,930 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 5,770 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $207,490 per year, or $62,620 above Georgia. Its location quotient is 2.48.
2. Illinois has 1,590 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 1,430 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $137,140 per year, or $7,730 below Georgia. Its location quotient is 1.99.
3. Maryland has 1,200 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 1,040 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $174,390 per year, or $29,520 above Georgia. Its location quotient is 3.3.
Local-share leaders
Where Physicists takes the largest share of local jobs
District of Columbia has the highest published location quotient in this state set, at 5.24. Georgia has 0.25. A value above 1 means the role's local job share is larger than its national share.
A high quotient can come from a small local job base. It does not prove more jobs, more posts, faster growth, or higher pay. The bullets keep each quotient beside its BLS job count and median. This lets a reader see when the three measures point in different ways.
Use this list to ask where Physicists is a large part of the local mix. Use the employment list to ask where BLS counts the most jobs. Use the pay list to ask where the median is highest. None of those lists decides where a person should work.
1. District of Columbia has a location quotient of 5.24, a gap of 4.99 from Georgia. BLS lists 480 Physicists jobs and a median of $157,040 per year, or $12,170 above Georgia.
2. New Mexico has a location quotient of 5.07, a gap of 4.82 from Georgia. BLS lists 580 Physicists jobs and a median of $165,340 per year, or $20,470 above Georgia.
3. Maryland has a location quotient of 3.3, a gap of 3.05 from Georgia. BLS lists 1,200 Physicists jobs and a median of $174,390 per year, or $29,520 above Georgia.
Job scale and share
How common Physicists is in Georgia
BLS lists 160 Physicists jobs in Georgia. It also lists 0.03 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.
The location quotient is 0.25. A value of 1 means Physicists has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is lower than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.
Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.
The all-occupations median in Georgia is $48,170 per year. The Physicists median is $144,870 per year. Physicists is 200.7% above the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.
The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for Georgia. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.
Use the list to spot the local wage mix around Physicists. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.
1. Software Developers, SOC 15-1252, has a Georgia median of $131,010 per year. BLS lists 49,700 jobs and a location quotient of 0.94.
2. General and Operations Managers, SOC 11-1021, has a Georgia median of $103,730 per year. BLS lists 111,060 jobs and a location quotient of 1.01.
3. Management Analysts, SOC 13-1111, has a Georgia median of $99,600 per year. BLS lists 38,390 jobs and a location quotient of 1.36.
4. Registered Nurses, SOC 29-1141, has a Georgia median of $93,550 per year. BLS lists 100,950 jobs and a location quotient of 0.95.
Area job mix
The largest detailed roles in Georgia
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded Georgia table, at 145,030 jobs. Physicists has 160 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.
The all-occupations job count is 4,889,170. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.
A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep Physicists's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.
1. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 145,030 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 144,870 from Physicists. Its median is $26,920 per year, or $117,950 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.2.
2. Retail Salespersons has 143,120 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 142,960 from Physicists. Its median is $30,840 per year, or $114,030 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.17.
3. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has 137,580 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 137,420 from Physicists. Its median is $38,480 per year, or $106,390 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.48.
Area pay mix
Published role medians around Georgia
Software Developers has the highest published median in the bounded Georgia role table, at $131,010 per year. Physicists has $144,870 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.
The local all-occupations median is $48,170 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.
The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.
1. Software Developers has a median of $131,010 per year in Georgia, or $13,860 below Physicists. BLS lists 49,700 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.94.
2. General and Operations Managers has a median of $103,730 per year in Georgia, or $41,140 below Physicists. BLS lists 111,060 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.01.
3. Management Analysts has a median of $99,600 per year in Georgia, or $45,270 below Physicists. BLS lists 38,390 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.36.
Area role shares
Roles with the largest local share in Georgia
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators has the highest location quotient in the bounded Georgia role table, at 2.06. Physicists has 0.25. Both values compare a local job share with the matching national share.
A quotient above 1 means the role takes a larger share of local jobs than it does across the nation. It does not mean more jobs than every other role. It does not mean open posts, growth, or high pay. The job count and median beside each row answer those other narrow questions.
The local role-share mix can differ a lot from the pay mix. Read both lists. Then compare Physicists with the same SOC code in another place. This keeps a broad area pattern from replacing the exact role-place row.
1. Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators has a location quotient of 2.06 in Georgia, a gap of 1.81 from Physicists. BLS lists 50,260 jobs and a median of $43,210 per year, or $101,660 below Physicists.
2. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a location quotient of 1.97 in Georgia, a gap of 1.72 from Physicists. BLS lists 67,450 jobs and a median of $78,410 per year, or $66,460 below Physicists.
3. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has a location quotient of 1.48 in Georgia, a gap of 1.23 from Physicists. BLS lists 137,580 jobs and a median of $38,480 per year, or $106,390 below Physicists.
Price-level view
What $144,870 may mean after the Georgia price level
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Georgia is 96.3. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 3.7% below that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.
WageScope divides the $144,870 Physicists median by 96.3 divided by 100. The result is $150,447 in national-price dollars per year. This proxy keeps the math clear. It is not take-home pay and does not set a move target.
Housing is 88.7. Goods are 98.9. Utilities are 92.8. Other services are 97.3. The parts do not move as one. WageScope uses BEA's all-items index for the proxy and does not make its own basket.
The employment RSE for this Physicists row is 33.9%. The mean-wage RSE is 10.4%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.
The employment RSE belongs to the 160 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $179,130 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.
A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.
The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to Physicists. It uses a Georgia place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.
Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Job cards can change without changing this guide. They do not count toward the 1,500-word content floor. A listing range does not replace the $144,870 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.
Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.
What the Physicists row for Georgia does not claim
The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.
The 160 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 0.25 is not a growth score. Rank 26 of 43 is not a place score. The 96.3 price index is not a personal budget.
Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 19-2012 in BLS area 13. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.
Are the current job listings included in the BLS wage calculation?
No. MeritLog shows eligible live public-catalog listings separately, with their own source and observation date. Posted pay never changes the official BLS distribution.
4. Area 13, SOC 11-1021, General and Operations Managers: 111,060 jobs, $103,730 annual median, 22.72 jobs per 1,000, and 1.01 location quotient.
5. Area 13, SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses: 100,950 jobs, $93,550 annual median, 20.65 jobs per 1,000, and 0.95 location quotient.
6. Area 13, SOC 43-4051, Customer Service Representatives: 97,850 jobs, $39,630 annual median, 20.01 jobs per 1,000, and 1.2 location quotient.
4. California has a Physicists median of $207,490 per year, or $62,620 above Georgia. BLS lists 5,930 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 2.48.
5. Oregon has a Physicists median of $200,320 per year, or $55,450 above Georgia. BLS lists 90 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 0.33.
6. Oklahoma has a Physicists median of $200,050 per year, or $55,180 above Georgia. BLS lists 40 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 0.19.
7. Texas has a Physicists median of $184,040 per year, or $39,170 above Georgia. BLS lists 580 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 0.31.
8. New York has a Physicists median of $181,970 per year, or $37,100 above Georgia. BLS lists 1,140 jobs there, compared with 160 in Georgia. The location quotient is 0.9.
4. Massachusetts has 1,150 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 990 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $106,410 per year, or $38,460 below Georgia. Its location quotient is 2.41.
5. New York has 1,140 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 980 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $181,970 per year, or $37,100 above Georgia. Its location quotient is 0.9.
6. Colorado has 1,050 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 890 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $104,580 per year, or $40,290 below Georgia. Its location quotient is 2.77.
7. Virginia has 940 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 780 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $145,040 per year, or $170 above Georgia. Its location quotient is 1.74.
8. Ohio has 630 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 470 jobs from Georgia. Its median is $162,900 per year, or $18,030 above Georgia. Its location quotient is 0.87.
4. Colorado has a location quotient of 2.77, a gap of 2.52 from Georgia. BLS lists 1,050 Physicists jobs and a median of $104,580 per year, or $40,290 below Georgia.
5. California has a location quotient of 2.48, a gap of 2.23 from Georgia. BLS lists 5,930 Physicists jobs and a median of $207,490 per year, or $62,620 above Georgia.
6. Massachusetts has a location quotient of 2.41, a gap of 2.16 from Georgia. BLS lists 1,150 Physicists jobs and a median of $106,410 per year, or $38,460 below Georgia.
7. Illinois has a location quotient of 1.99, a gap of 1.74 from Georgia. BLS lists 1,590 Physicists jobs and a median of $137,140 per year, or $7,730 below Georgia.
8. Virginia has a location quotient of 1.74, a gap of 1.49 from Georgia. BLS lists 940 Physicists jobs and a median of $145,040 per year, or $170 above Georgia.
5. Accountants and Auditors, SOC 13-2011, has a Georgia median of $81,900 per year. BLS lists 44,020 jobs and a location quotient of 0.97.
6. Business Operations Specialists, All Other, SOC 13-1199, has a Georgia median of $78,410 per year. BLS lists 67,450 jobs and a location quotient of 1.97.
7. Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel, SOC 41-3091, has a Georgia median of $75,280 per year. BLS lists 46,960 jobs and a location quotient of 1.19.
8. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2021, has a Georgia median of $72,290 per year. BLS lists 43,820 jobs and a location quotient of 1.
4. General and Operations Managers has 111,060 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 110,900 from Physicists. Its median is $103,730 per year, or $41,140 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.01.
5. Registered Nurses has 100,950 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 100,790 from Physicists. Its median is $93,550 per year, or $51,320 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.95.
6. Customer Service Representatives has 97,850 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 97,690 from Physicists. Its median is $39,630 per year, or $105,240 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.2.
7. Cashiers has 97,540 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 97,380 from Physicists. Its median is $29,070 per year, or $115,800 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.
8. Stockers and Order Fillers has 86,660 jobs in Georgia, a gap of 86,500 from Physicists. Its median is $35,620 per year, or $109,250 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.97.
4. Registered Nurses has a median of $93,550 per year in Georgia, or $51,320 below Physicists. BLS lists 100,950 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.95.
5. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $81,900 per year in Georgia, or $62,970 below Physicists. BLS lists 44,020 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.97.
6. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a median of $78,410 per year in Georgia, or $66,460 below Physicists. BLS lists 67,450 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.97.
7. Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel has a median of $75,280 per year in Georgia, or $69,590 below Physicists. BLS lists 46,960 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.19.
8. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a median of $72,290 per year in Georgia, or $72,580 below Physicists. BLS lists 43,820 jobs, compared with 160 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.
4. Management Analysts has a location quotient of 1.36 in Georgia, a gap of 1.11 from Physicists. BLS lists 38,390 jobs and a median of $99,600 per year, or $45,270 below Physicists.
5. Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants has a location quotient of 1.3 in Georgia, a gap of 1.05 from Physicists. BLS lists 39,380 jobs and a median of $43,160 per year, or $101,710 below Physicists.
6. First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers has a location quotient of 1.26 in Georgia, a gap of 1.01 from Physicists. BLS lists 48,420 jobs and a median of $38,600 per year, or $106,270 below Physicists.
7. Customer Service Representatives has a location quotient of 1.2 in Georgia, a gap of 0.95 from Physicists. BLS lists 97,850 jobs and a median of $39,630 per year, or $105,240 below Physicists.
8. Fast Food and Counter Workers has a location quotient of 1.2 in Georgia, a gap of 0.95 from Physicists. BLS lists 145,030 jobs and a median of $26,920 per year, or $117,950 below Physicists.
Precise employer-title matches for Physicists in Georgia
Filtered through MeritLog's approved Georgia place record and a strict employer-title rule. Listings are not classified by BLS and remain separate from BLS and BEA estimates.
