Physicist salary
Space employers offer physicists, astronomers and optical engineers a median of $165k a year, and the middle half of their postings sits at $136k–$192k. That comes from 43 jobs at 15 employers whose own postings name a salary.
- 25th percentile$136,400/hr
- Median (50th)$165,000/hr
- 75th percentile$191,750/hr
- Distinct posted rates43
- Jobs stating an hourly rate43
- Employers15
The median is the middle of the 43 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $136,400–$191,750 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- 25th percentile$136,400/hr
- Median (50th)$165,000/hr
- 75th percentile$191,750/hr
- Distinct posted rates43
- Jobs stating an hourly rate43
- Employers15
The median is the middle of the 43 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $136,400–$191,750 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- Median posted pay, a year$165,000
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- The same per hour, full time$79.33/hr
Every figure here is a year's pay: a job that posts pay counts at 2,080 hours (40 a week for 52 weeks). Rounded to the nearest $100.
- Lockheed Martin9 jobs
- SpaceX9 jobs
- K2 Space5 jobs
- Northrop Grumman4 jobs
- Blue Origin3 jobs
- Amazon Leo2 jobs
- BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems2 jobs
- RTX2 jobs
- Muon Space1 job
- L3Harris1 job
Jobs stating pay, the employers with the most first: 38 at the 10 shown and 5 at 5 other employers, 43 in all.
The jobs themselves: Physicist jobs
What physicists, astronomers and optical engineers are paid
How many postings fall in each salary step, a range counted at its midpoint; the darker bars are the middle half of what employers offer.
Median $165k a year. Middle half $136k to $192k. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs
Middle half of 43 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $165k. 67% of the 64 open physicist jobs state pay.
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Physicist pay by employer
What each employer posts for physicists, astronomers and optical engineers, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first. An employer with at least 5 such jobs has a page of its own with every range it posts.
Median of each employer's own jobs (a range at its midpoint), and the lowest and highest rate it posts. Jobs stating pay link to the employer's open jobs.
Physicist pay by state
States where at least 8 open jobs from 3 employers state pay, highest median first. Each opens the state's own page, with its towns and employers.
| State | Median posted | Middle half | BLS median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $185k | $136k–$194k | n/a | 19 |
| Colorado | $158k | $131k–$194k | n/a | 13 |
Median and middle half of employers' rates in the state. BLS medians are for the occupation's main SOC code in the state (latest release).
Best-paid open physicist jobs
The current postings with the highest stated salaries, no more than two per employer.
$185,400–$344,400/yr
$190,000–$285,000/yr
$173,466–$242,851/yr- $135,700–$280,000/yr
- $165,000–$230,000/yr
$171,000–$218,000/yr
$135,000–$250,500/yr
$165,000–$220,000/yr
$161,000–$221,000/yr- $156,802–$219,522/yr
$159,200–$215,300/yr
$150,000–$220,000/yr
Every open job: Physicist jobs
Questions about physicist pay in space
What do space companies pay physicists, astronomers and optical engineers?
Postings that state a salary put the median at $165k a year and the middle half at $136k–$192k, across 43 postings from 15 employers (one employer's repeated posting counted once). Full time, the median is about $79.33/hr an hour.
Which space companies pay physicists, astronomers and optical engineers the most?
Of the employers that state a salary on at least 5 postings: Lockheed Martin ($194k), K2 Space ($165k) and SpaceX ($153k). The employer table covers the 15 with the most postings that state pay.
Where do these figures come from?
From the salaries in space companies' own postings, read every night: 43 of 64 current physicist postings (67%) state one. Nothing is estimated for a posting without pay, "up to" ceilings are set aside, and an hourly rate counts as 2,080 hours.
Salaries in science & data
Sources and method
- SpaceJobs.Now: salaries stated in space companies' own postings, read every night, published 7 Nov 2026
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Physicist salary. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/salaries/physicists