How much does a physics professor make?
Answer: A typical physics professor in the United States makes $100,310 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 13,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Physics professor pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,200 | $100,310 | $177,850 | about 13,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $139,420 | about 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $111,280 | about 680 |
| Virginia | $104,490 | about 610 |
| New York | $103,100 | about 1,000 |
| New Jersey | $98,920 | about 530 |
Why does pay differ?
In the US, pay can differ with experience, qualifications, job duties, and the type or size of college and its location. Full-time or part-time hours matter too, and jobs with more research or student-supervision duties may pay differently.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a physics professor do?
Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What's a typical day like?
A physics professor might prepare a lab and check student work, then teach with equations or experiments. Later, they may meet students in office hours, guide lab or research projects, and work on their own research.
How to get this job
In the US, earn a bachelor's degree in physics and then a PhD; some candidates teach as graduate assistants or take a two- to three-year postdoctoral research job. Many aim for college faculty work after graduate training, so the starting age varies.
Graduate degree or long training (preparation level 5 of 5)
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out.
Did you know?
At Carnegie Mellon, physics professor David Anderson surprised students by spinning on a stool with dumbbells to show angular momentum.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Educational Instruction and Library jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/print/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1054.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.cmu.edu/piper/news/archives/2020/december/david-anderson.html
- www.colorado.edu/aps/undergraduate-studies/professional-development/careers/care
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY