Typical Starting Salaries for Physics PhDs

AIP Statistical Research Center, Focus on Physics Doctorates: Initial Employment

Data only include US-educated PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. The ranges of salaries represent the middle 50%, i.e. between the 25th and 75th percentiles. Government Lab includes Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, e.g. Los Alamos National Laboratory. UARI is University Affiliated Research Institute. The data for PhDs holding potentially permanent positions in academia include salaries based on 9-10 and 11-12 month commitments.

Data are based on respondents holding potentially permanent positions in the private sector (158) and in universities and 4-year colleges (36) and on postdocs in government labs (65) and in universities and UARIs (291).

Physics Doctorates Initial Employment