Physicists pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $88,000 a year or less, while the top 10% make $275,560 or more. The middle half of physicists in Los Angeles earn between $114,070 and $203,420.
- $88K10th
- $114K25th
- $160KMedian
- $203K75th
- $276K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $165,380 | $13,782 | $79.51 |
| Median | $160,270 | $13,356 | $77.05 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $114,070 | $9,506 | $54.84 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $203,420 | $16,952 | $97.80 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Physicists salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $165,380, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $113,015 a year, or $9,418 a month and $4,347 every two weeks. Taxes take 32% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Los Angeles a good place for physicists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $165,380 buys what about $145,625 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 5.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Physicists salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 4th of 7 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($189,390).
- San Jose$189,390
- Riverside$172,470
- Oxnard$169,620
- Los Angeles$165,380
- San Diego$159,690
- Bakersfield$137,290
- Sacramento$130,050
Highest-paying cities for physicists
Miami, FL pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($245,010).
- Miami, FL$245,010
- Tampa, FL$244,380
- Pittsburgh, PA$211,220
- Portland, OR$210,060
- Cleveland, OH$209,480
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Physicists salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do physicists make an hour in Los Angeles?
$79.51 an hour on average, and $77.05 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level physicists salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $88,000 a year and the 25th percentile is $114,070, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the physicists take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $113,015 a year ($9,418 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $165,380. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do physicists earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($158,709).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-2012; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).
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