Physics Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by City

Top 15 cities for physics teachers, postsecondary by average salary

Los Angeles, CA	$181,010
San Francisco, CA	$164,980
San Diego, CA	$164,460
College Station, TX	$159,810
Riverside, CA	$156,870
Boston, MA	$141,400
Ann Arbor, MI	$140,250
Lexington, KY	$139,850
Minneapolis, MN	$132,920
Lincoln, NE	$127,570
Amherst, MA	$127,380
Sacramento, CA	$125,420
Albany, NY	$122,080
Hartford, CT	$119,700
New York, NY	$116,860

Average annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025.

Map: Physics Teachers, Postsecondary salary by metro area

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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary salary by state

California pays physics teachers, postsecondary the most statewide, $166,780 a year on average. Statewide columns cover every employer in the state; city columns cover the metro areas we publish.

State	Statewide average	Statewide median	Jobs	Metros	Highest city average	Lowest city average
California	$166,780	$139,420	1,130	6	$181,010	$112,870
New Hampshire	$134,360	$99,050	40	0	n/a	n/a
Massachusetts	$133,680	$111,280	680	3	$141,400	$100,640
Delaware	$131,110	$108,810	70	0	n/a	n/a
Maryland	$130,770	$110,980	300	0	n/a	n/a
Connecticut	$128,500	$112,410	260	2	$119,700	$93,670
Iowa	$118,700	$104,270	120	0	n/a	n/a
Minnesota	$118,530	$107,240	250	1	$132,920	$132,920
Michigan	$115,750	$109,090	460	3	$140,250	$90,310
New York	$115,260	$103,100	1,080	5	$122,080	$103,550
Oregon	$113,730	$104,320	230	1	$112,930	$112,930
Maine	$112,110	$104,270	60	0	n/a	n/a
Georgia	$108,810	$101,580	210	1	$113,150	$113,150
New Mexico	$108,330	$108,850	70	0	n/a	n/a
Nebraska	$108,010	$98,460	70	1	$127,570	$127,570
Indiana	$107,750	$102,970	270	2	$98,060	$88,930
Wisconsin	$106,360	$89,630	210	1	$93,650	$93,650
Virginia	$105,830	$104,490	610	3	$101,600	$93,880
Montana	$105,760	$98,050	70	0	n/a	n/a
Idaho	$105,510	$106,040	50	0	n/a	n/a
Texas	$104,240	$97,760	1,110	8	$159,810	$67,120
Illinois	$103,950	$94,900	540	1	$96,480	$96,480
New Jersey	$103,930	$98,920	530	1	$86,920	$86,920
Louisiana	$103,500	$90,040	90	1	$107,290	$107,290
Kansas	$102,360	$97,140	110	0	n/a	n/a
Missouri	$101,510	$99,970	230	2	$114,450	$90,280
North Carolina	$100,120	$87,370	440	2	$115,450	$95,570
Pennsylvania	$100,000	$98,370	580	2	$116,060	$94,180
Colorado	$99,950	$99,280	280	1	$101,700	$101,700
Nevada	$99,820	$96,330	90	0	n/a	n/a
Utah	$99,760	$99,860	120	0	n/a	n/a
Vermont	$99,180	$98,390	50	0	n/a	n/a
Washington	$98,420	$96,930	310	1	$106,340	$106,340
West Virginia	$97,790	$98,320	50	0	n/a	n/a
Tennessee	$97,590	$80,630	340	3	$112,720	$82,760
North Dakota	$96,420	$101,700	40	0	n/a	n/a
Washington, D.C.	$93,030	$85,190	130	1	$100,980	$100,980
Ohio	$92,760	$96,310	420	3	$98,540	$76,910
Kentucky	$92,240	$80,270	160	1	$139,850	$139,850
Oklahoma	$88,660	$91,580	90	1	$96,780	$96,780
South Carolina	$87,770	$81,210	150	1	$89,800	$89,800
Alabama	$87,430	$82,750	170	1	$82,920	$82,920
South Dakota	$84,720	$86,010	30	0	n/a	n/a
Arizona	$83,570	$65,730	350	1	$91,780	$91,780
Florida	$83,530	$74,050	180	2	$103,080	$74,200
Arkansas	$83,160	$64,900	30	0	n/a	n/a
Puerto Rico	$81,510	$83,830	80	1	$82,880	$82,880
Mississippi	$80,430	$71,160	100	0	n/a	n/a

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary salary in every city we cover

Sort by any column. Each city links to its pay range, take-home pay and cost of living.

Metro area	Average	Median	Hourly	Jobs
Los Angeles, CA	$181,010	$172,510	—	440
San Francisco, CA	$164,980	$133,360	—	70
San Diego, CA	$164,460	$152,190	—	120
College Station, TX	$159,810	$167,090	—	80
Riverside, CA	$156,870	$139,400	—	60
Boston, MA	$141,400	$128,640	—	510
Ann Arbor, MI	$140,250	$141,400	—	80
Lexington, KY	$139,850	$138,980	—	50
Minneapolis, MN	$132,920	$130,310	—	160
Lincoln, NE	$127,570	$128,750	—	50
Amherst, MA	$127,380	$114,880	—	60
Sacramento, CA	$125,420	$132,790	—	80
Albany, NY	$122,080	$103,530	—	90
Hartford, CT	$119,700	$107,080	—	100
New York, NY	$116,860	$104,690	—	870
Philadelphia, PA	$116,060	$103,750	—	290
Raleigh, NC	$115,450	$105,560	—	100
St. Louis, MO	$114,450	$102,530	—	100
Atlanta, GA	$113,150	$107,410	—	170
Austin, TX	$113,120	$100,430	—	220
Portland, OR	$112,930	$111,460	—	160
Santa Maria, CA	$112,870	$105,810	—	80
Knoxville, TN	$112,720	$99,090	—	80
Buffalo, NY	$109,720	$114,590	—	50
Rochester, NY	$108,550	$98,690	—	120
Nashville, TN	$107,570	$87,460	—	100
New Orleans, LA	$107,290	$101,250	—	40
Seattle, WA	$106,340	$98,060	—	200
Dallas, TX	$105,590	$99,650	—	170
Syracuse, NY	$103,550	$95,980	—	70
Miami, FL	$103,080	$80,990	—	60
McAllen, TX	$101,720	$97,760	—	50
Denver, CO	$101,700	$100,770	—	100
Richmond, VA	$101,600	$103,650	—	50
Washington, DC	$100,980	$95,430	—	340
Houston, TX	$100,890	$99,480	—	230
Worcester, MA	$100,640	$101,620	—	60
Detroit, MI	$100,060	$104,880	—	110
San Antonio, TX	$99,210	$95,060	—	70
Columbus, OH	$98,540	$101,060	—	80
South Bend, IN	$98,060	$80,670	—	40
Oklahoma City, OK	$96,780	$106,000	—	40
Chicago, IL	$96,480	$83,830	—	330
Charlotte, NC	$95,570	$108,070	—	60
Virginia Beach, VA	$94,560	$98,470	—	130
Pittsburgh, PA	$94,180	$91,620	—	150
Harrisonburg, VA	$93,880	$101,210	—	30
Bridgeport, CT	$93,670	$81,760	—	n/a
Milwaukee, WI	$93,650	$79,760	—	70
El Paso, TX	$93,090	$95,450	—	50
Phoenix, AZ	$91,780	$73,940	—	160
Grand Rapids, MI	$90,310	$103,780	—	60
Columbia, MO	$90,280	$106,680	—	30
Charleston, SC	$89,800	$81,210	—	50
Indianapolis, IN	$88,930	$85,000	—	30
Cleveland, OH	$88,360	$95,410	—	60
Trenton, NJ	$86,920	$80,940	—	n/a
Auburn, AL	$82,920	$82,750	—	50
San Juan, PR	$82,880	$90,180	—	50
Memphis, TN	$82,760	$80,630	—	30
Cincinnati, OH	$76,910	$78,430	—	130
Orlando, FL	$74,200	$74,050	—	50
Lubbock, TX	$67,120	$66,690	—	30

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Physics Teachers, Postsecondary salary: questions

Where do physics teachers, postsecondary make the most money?

In Los Angeles, CA, with an average of $181,010 a year, among the 63 metro areas we cover.

What is the average physics teachers, postsecondary salary in the U.S.?

$111,460 a year nationwide (BLS OEWS national estimates, May 2025); the median is $100,310, so half of physics teachers, postsecondary earn more than that and half less.

What salary should physics teachers, postsecondary ask for?

Start from the figures for your city: the middle half of physics teachers, postsecondary nationwide earn between $74,050 (25th percentile) and $132,650 (75th percentile). Newer workers usually start near the 25th percentile and experienced ones can ask for the 75th; each city page shows the local range. See how to read salary percentiles.

Which state pays physics teachers, postsecondary the most?

California, with a statewide average of $166,780 a year (BLS state estimates, May 2025).

Where is physics teachers, postsecondary pay the lowest?

Lubbock, TX, at $67,120 a year on average. Lower pay often comes with lower prices: check the cost of living on each city page.

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 25-1054.
U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.