Washington was 21.7% below the U.S. median for Physicists. It ranked 33 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 Washington was 107, or 7% above the national price level. Its housing index was 126.
National-price-dollar proxy
$125,957
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 53.
Questions, answered
Physicists pay in Washington: common questions
What is the median wage for Physicists in Washington?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS release published a median of $134,790 per year for Physicists in Washington. This describes an occupation-area estimate, not a promised offer or an individual's pay.
Is Physicists pay higher in Washington than nationally?
Washington's published median was 21.7% below the U.S. median for the same occupation and release.
Does the wage estimate adjust for cost of living in Washington?
No. The BLS wage is nominal. WageScope separately shows BEA's 2024 all-items Regional Price Parity of 107.0 and a transparent national-price-dollar proxy.
How many Physicists jobs does BLS estimate in Washington?
BLS published an employment estimate of 450 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 Washington at $134,790 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 53.
BLS lists 450 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 $149,060 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.
Washington's Physicists median is 21.7% 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 53. SOC 19-2012 names Physicists. Area 53 names Washington. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.
The 19-2012/53 row reports 450 wage and salary jobs, 0.13 jobs per 1,000 local jobs, and a 0.96 location quotient. Each value stays under the same two source keys.
For 19-2012/53, the annual median is $134,790 per year, while the matching mean is $149,060 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.
Area 53 reports 3,550,970 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $83,330. Its annual median is $62,990. 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 Washington runs from $38,670 at the 10th percentile to $153,630 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $47,020. The median is $62,990. The 75th percentile is $101,710. 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 53. They do not show related skills or a path into Physicists.
1. Area 53, SOC 15-1252, Software Developers: 107,030 jobs, $166,540 annual median, 30.14 jobs per 1,000, and 2.78 location quotient.
2. Area 53, SOC 31-1120, Home Health and Personal Care Aides: 103,260 jobs, $47,730 annual median, 29.08 jobs per 1,000, and 1.05 location quotient.
3. Area 53, SOC 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers: 94,710 jobs, $37,710 annual median, 26.67 jobs per 1,000, and 1.08 location quotient.
Pay range
Read the Washington wage ladder for Physicists
The 10th percentile is $77,860 per year. The 25th percentile is $110,940 per year. The median is $134,790 per year. The 75th percentile is $174,630 per year. The 90th percentile is $238,430 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 $110,940 per year to $174,630 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $160,570. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.
Washington has a annual median of $134,790 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 Washington. Washington is 21.7% 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.
Washington ranks 33 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 33 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.
30. Illinois has a Physicists median of $137,140 per year, 1,590 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.99.
31. Arkansas has a Physicists median of $135,820 per year, 60 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.36.
32. Idaho has a Physicists median of $135,150 per year, Not published estimated jobs, and a location quotient of Not published.
34. Arizona has a Physicists median of $130,500 per year, 120 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.29.
35. Mississippi has a Physicists median of $129,970 per year, 80 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.55.
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. Washington sits at $134,790 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 $90,600 above Washington. BLS lists 340 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. The location quotient is 0.26.
2. New Hampshire has a Physicists median of $214,030 per year, or $79,240 above Washington. BLS lists 30 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. The location quotient is 0.38.
3. Pennsylvania has a Physicists median of $210,990 per year, or $76,200 above Washington. BLS lists 230 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. 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. Washington has 450. 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 5,480 jobs from Washington. Its median is $207,490 per year, or $72,700 above Washington. Its location quotient is 2.48.
2. Illinois has 1,590 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 1,140 jobs from Washington. Its median is $137,140 per year, or $2,350 above Washington. Its location quotient is 1.99.
3. Maryland has 1,200 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 750 jobs from Washington. Its median is $174,390 per year, or $39,600 above Washington. 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. Washington has 0.96. 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 4.28 from Washington. BLS lists 480 Physicists jobs and a median of $157,040 per year, or $22,250 above Washington.
2. New Mexico has a location quotient of 5.07, a gap of 4.11 from Washington. BLS lists 580 Physicists jobs and a median of $165,340 per year, or $30,550 above Washington.
3. Maryland has a location quotient of 3.3, a gap of 2.34 from Washington. BLS lists 1,200 Physicists jobs and a median of $174,390 per year, or $39,600 above Washington.
Job scale and share
How common Physicists is in Washington
BLS lists 450 Physicists jobs in Washington. It also lists 0.13 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 0.96. A value of 1 means Physicists has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is the same 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 Washington is $62,990 per year. The Physicists median is $134,790 per year. Physicists is 114.0% 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 Washington. 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. General and Operations Managers, SOC 11-1021, has a Washington median of $133,750 per year. BLS lists 50,630 jobs and a location quotient of 0.63.
2. Registered Nurses, SOC 29-1141, has a Washington median of $124,200 per year. BLS lists 69,260 jobs and a location quotient of 0.9.
3. Project Management Specialists, SOC 13-1082, has a Washington median of $124,160 per year. BLS lists 36,240 jobs and a location quotient of 1.49.
Area job mix
The largest detailed roles in Washington
Software Developers is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded Washington table, at 107,030 jobs. Physicists has 450 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 3,550,970. 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. Software Developers has 107,030 jobs in Washington, a gap of 106,580 from Physicists. Its median is $166,540 per year, or $31,750 above Physicists. Its location quotient is 2.78.
2. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 103,260 jobs in Washington, a gap of 102,810 from Physicists. Its median is $47,730 per year, or $87,060 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.05.
3. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 94,710 jobs in Washington, a gap of 94,260 from Physicists. Its median is $37,710 per year, or $97,080 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.08.
Area pay mix
Published role medians around Washington
Software Developers has the highest published median in the bounded Washington role table, at $166,540 per year. Physicists has $134,790 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.
The local all-occupations median is $62,990 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 $166,540 per year in Washington, or $31,750 above Physicists. BLS lists 107,030 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 2.78.
2. General and Operations Managers has a median of $133,750 per year in Washington, or $1,040 below Physicists. BLS lists 50,630 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.63.
3. Registered Nurses has a median of $124,200 per year in Washington, or $10,590 below Physicists. BLS lists 69,260 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.9.
Area role shares
Roles with the largest local share in Washington
Software Developers has the highest location quotient in the bounded Washington role table, at 2.78. Physicists has 0.96. 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. Software Developers has a location quotient of 2.78 in Washington, a gap of 1.82 from Physicists. BLS lists 107,030 jobs and a median of $166,540 per year, or $31,750 above Physicists.
2. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a location quotient of 2.08 in Washington, a gap of 1.12 from Physicists. BLS lists 51,650 jobs and a median of $100,360 per year, or $34,430 below Physicists.
3. Carpenters has a location quotient of 1.76 in Washington, a gap of 0.80 from Physicists. BLS lists 26,960 jobs and a median of $74,190 per year, or $60,600 below Physicists.
Price-level view
What $134,790 may mean after the Washington price level
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Washington is 107.0. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 7.0% above that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.
WageScope divides the $134,790 Physicists median by 107.0 divided by 100. The result is $125,957 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 126.0. Goods are 104.4. Utilities are 92.9. Other services are 103.9. 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 7.3%. The mean-wage RSE is 2.6%. 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 450 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $149,060 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 Washington 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. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $134,790 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 Washington 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 450 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 0.96 is not a growth score. Rank 33 of 43 is not a place score. The 107.0 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 53. 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 53, SOC 41-2031, Retail Salespersons: 84,850 jobs, $39,560 annual median, 23.89 jobs per 1,000, and 0.95 location quotient.
5. Area 53, SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses: 69,260 jobs, $124,200 annual median, 19.51 jobs per 1,000, and 0.9 location quotient.
6. Area 53, SOC 41-2011, Cashiers: 61,050 jobs, $38,720 annual median, 17.19 jobs per 1,000, and 0.87 location quotient.
4. California has a Physicists median of $207,490 per year, or $72,700 above Washington. BLS lists 5,930 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. The location quotient is 2.48.
5. Oregon has a Physicists median of $200,320 per year, or $65,530 above Washington. BLS lists 90 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. The location quotient is 0.33.
6. Oklahoma has a Physicists median of $200,050 per year, or $65,260 above Washington. BLS lists 40 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. The location quotient is 0.19.
7. Texas has a Physicists median of $184,040 per year, or $49,250 above Washington. BLS lists 580 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. The location quotient is 0.31.
8. New York has a Physicists median of $181,970 per year, or $47,180 above Washington. BLS lists 1,140 jobs there, compared with 450 in Washington. The location quotient is 0.9.
4. Massachusetts has 1,150 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 700 jobs from Washington. Its median is $106,410 per year, or $28,380 below Washington. Its location quotient is 2.41.
5. New York has 1,140 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 690 jobs from Washington. Its median is $181,970 per year, or $47,180 above Washington. Its location quotient is 0.9.
6. Colorado has 1,050 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 600 jobs from Washington. Its median is $104,580 per year, or $30,210 below Washington. Its location quotient is 2.77.
7. Virginia has 940 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 490 jobs from Washington. Its median is $145,040 per year, or $10,250 above Washington. Its location quotient is 1.74.
8. Ohio has 630 estimated Physicists jobs, a gap of 180 jobs from Washington. Its median is $162,900 per year, or $28,110 above Washington. Its location quotient is 0.87.
4. Colorado has a location quotient of 2.77, a gap of 1.81 from Washington. BLS lists 1,050 Physicists jobs and a median of $104,580 per year, or $30,210 below Washington.
5. California has a location quotient of 2.48, a gap of 1.52 from Washington. BLS lists 5,930 Physicists jobs and a median of $207,490 per year, or $72,700 above Washington.
6. Massachusetts has a location quotient of 2.41, a gap of 1.45 from Washington. BLS lists 1,150 Physicists jobs and a median of $106,410 per year, or $28,380 below Washington.
7. Illinois has a location quotient of 1.99, a gap of 1.03 from Washington. BLS lists 1,590 Physicists jobs and a median of $137,140 per year, or $2,350 above Washington.
8. Virginia has a location quotient of 1.74, a gap of 0.78 from Washington. BLS lists 940 Physicists jobs and a median of $145,040 per year, or $10,250 above Washington.
4. Software Developers, SOC 15-1252, has a Washington median of $166,540 per year. BLS lists 107,030 jobs and a location quotient of 2.78.
5. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2021, has a Washington median of $102,350 per year. BLS lists 28,980 jobs and a location quotient of 0.91.
6. Business Operations Specialists, All Other, SOC 13-1199, has a Washington median of $100,360 per year. BLS lists 51,650 jobs and a location quotient of 2.08.
7. Accountants and Auditors, SOC 13-2011, has a Washington median of $96,550 per year. BLS lists 34,740 jobs and a location quotient of 1.05.
8. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products, SOC 41-4012, has a Washington median of $79,830 per year. BLS lists 27,340 jobs and a location quotient of 0.97.
4. Retail Salespersons has 84,850 jobs in Washington, a gap of 84,400 from Physicists. Its median is $39,560 per year, or $95,230 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.95.
5. Registered Nurses has 69,260 jobs in Washington, a gap of 68,810 from Physicists. Its median is $124,200 per year, or $10,590 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.9.
6. Cashiers has 61,050 jobs in Washington, a gap of 60,600 from Physicists. Its median is $38,720 per year, or $96,070 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.87.
7. Stockers and Order Fillers has 57,370 jobs in Washington, a gap of 56,920 from Physicists. Its median is $44,620 per year, or $90,170 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.89.
8. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has 51,650 jobs in Washington, a gap of 51,200 from Physicists. Its median is $100,360 per year, or $34,430 below Physicists. Its location quotient is 2.08.
4. Project Management Specialists has a median of $124,160 per year in Washington, or $10,630 below Physicists. BLS lists 36,240 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.49.
5. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a median of $102,350 per year in Washington, or $32,440 below Physicists. BLS lists 28,980 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.91.
6. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a median of $100,360 per year in Washington, or $34,430 below Physicists. BLS lists 51,650 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 2.08.
7. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $96,550 per year in Washington, or $38,240 below Physicists. BLS lists 34,740 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 1.05.
8. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products has a median of $79,830 per year in Washington, or $54,960 below Physicists. BLS lists 27,340 jobs, compared with 450 for Physicists. Its location quotient is 0.97.
4. Project Management Specialists has a location quotient of 1.49 in Washington, a gap of 0.53 from Physicists. BLS lists 36,240 jobs and a median of $124,160 per year, or $10,630 below Physicists.
5. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary has a location quotient of 1.34 in Washington, a gap of 0.38 from Physicists. BLS lists 43,420 jobs and a median of $49,120 per year, or $85,670 below Physicists.
6. Receptionists and Information Clerks has a location quotient of 1.28 in Washington, a gap of 0.32 from Physicists. BLS lists 26,500 jobs and a median of $44,710 per year, or $90,080 below Physicists.
7. Cooks, Restaurant has a location quotient of 1.09 in Washington, a gap of 0.13 from Physicists. BLS lists 35,140 jobs and a median of $46,800 per year, or $87,990 below Physicists.
8. Fast Food and Counter Workers has a location quotient of 1.08 in Washington, a gap of 0.12 from Physicists. BLS lists 94,710 jobs and a median of $37,710 per year, or $97,080 below Physicists.
