Physicists pay range in Boston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $82,050 a year or less, while the top 10% make $213,150 or more. The middle half of physicists in Boston earn between $82,070 and $170,190.
- $82K10th
- $82K25th
- $106KMedian
- $170K75th
- $213K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $129,840 | $10,820 | $62.42 |
| Median | $106,000 | $8,833 | $50.96 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $82,070 | $6,839 | $39.46 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $170,190 | $14,182 | $81.82 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Physicists salary after taxes in Boston
On the average salary of $129,840, a single filer in Boston takes home about $93,840 a year, or $7,820 a month and $3,609 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% of gross pay.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NH | $100,012 | $8,334 |
| Working in MA | $93,840 | $7,820 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Is Boston a good place for physicists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $129,840 buys what about $119,927 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 5.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Physicists salary in other Massachusetts cities
Boston ranks 2nd of 2 Massachusetts metro areas for this job; Worcester pays the most ($166,280).
- Worcester$166,280
- Boston$129,840
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 Boston: questions
How much do physicists make an hour in Boston?
$62.42 an hour on average, and $50.96 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level physicists salary in Boston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $82,050 a year and the 25th percentile is $82,070, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the physicists take-home pay in Boston?
About $93,840 a year ($7,820 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $129,840. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Do physicists earn more in Boston than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% less 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.5%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.98, this job is 3.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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