Mid-level Physicist salary in Boston, MA

Based on 12 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Waltham, Durham, Lowell, Chestnut Hill.

Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist

Median salary$130,100
Middle 50%$105.2k–$142.1k
vs. all levels here+54%comparison median $84,750
Filings12FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $79,823 and $181,002.
PercentileSalary
10th$90,122
25th$105,190
50th (median)$130,100
75th$142,055
90th$176,206

Salary by year

Median salary

$70k $100k $130k FY2020: median $117,379 (10 filings) FY2021: median $109,595 (10 filings) FY2022: median $110,709 (14 filings) FY2023: median $79,893 (11 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 10 filings FY20 FY2021: 10 filings FY21 FY2022: 14 filings FY22 FY2023: 11 filings FY23 FY2024: 8 filings FY24 FY2025: 7 filings FY25 FY2026: 5 filings FY26 14
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$117,379$103,332$120,04310
FY2021$109,595$100,650$121,31310
FY2022$110,709$97,962$138,25014
FY2023$79,893$74,099$89,73211
FY2024–––8
FY2025–––7
FY2026–––5

Cost of living

Boston's median mid-level Physicist salary of $130,100 is worth about $120,200 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Physicists in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $106,000 in May 2025 (1,060 employed). The H-1B median here is $130,100, 23% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Brigham and Women's Hospitaltoo few3
Northeastern Universitytoo few2
QuEra Computing Incorporatedtoo few2
Trustees Of Boston Universitytoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $75,282 54
Mid-level · Level II $130,100 12
Senior · Level III too few 4
Expert · Level IV too few 4

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$69,805$75,28254
Mid-level · Level II$89,024$130,10012

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.