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Physical Scientists, All Other Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 19-2099 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$122,574
$58.93/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Physical Scientists salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$67K
P25$87K
P50$123K
P75$162K
P90$195K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- professional & business services openings are at 5.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $122,574 to $161,886 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Physical Scientists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 3.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.0% job-openings rate with quits at 2.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 5.8% to 5.0% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.9 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 5.0% (down 119K). BLS revised July up from 4.8% to 5.5%, so last month's third straight decline did not happen. Quits recovered to 2.1%; layoffs fell 56K.
  • Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings fell for a third month to 4.8% (June revised to 5.1%), and hires dropped 188K, the largest pullback of any sector. Quits slid to 1.8%.
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Physical Scientists, All Other is $122,574 per year ($58.93/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $86,611 and $161,886 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $195,187 per year. There are approximately 22,300 physical scientists, all other employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

All physical scientists not listed separately.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+0.6%
Little or no change
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
32K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
10K$134,220
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
4K$83,230
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
2K$128,720
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
2K$90,430
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
960$221,110
Wage range across top 5 industries: $83,230 to $221,110 (166% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$32.21$66,997
P25$41.64$86,611
P50MEDIAN$58.93$122,574
P75$77.83$161,886
P90$93.84$195,187

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · professional sector
Active
Openings Rate
5.0%
Quits Rate
2.1%

Professional & Business Services openings fell 119K to 1.19M in August, rate 5.0%. BLS revised July up sharply, from 4.8% to 5.5%, so the three-month cooling reported last release did not happen: the sector is volatile, not in steady decline. Hires rose 36K, quits recovered to 2.1%, and layoffs fell 56K.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average physical scientists, all other salary?

The national median salary for Physical Scientists, All Other is $122,574 per year ($58.93/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $86,611 and $161,886 annually.

How much do top-earning physical scientists, all other make?

The 90th percentile salary for Physical Scientists, All Other is $195,187 per year ($93.84/hr). The 75th percentile is $161,886 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for physical scientists, all other?

Entry-level Physical Scientists, All Other (10th percentile) earn approximately $66,997 per year ($32.21/hr). The 25th percentile is $86,611 per year.

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Physical Scientists, All Other Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California2,320 workersTexas2,310 workersMaryland1,810 workersNew York1,510 workersIndiana1,240 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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