Entry-level Physicist salary in Durham, NC

Based on 11 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, FY2025–FY2026.

Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist

Median salary$75,500
Middle 50%$67.6k–$85.5k
vs. all levels here−11%comparison median $84,989
Filings11FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $64,842 and $86,270.
PercentileSalary
10th$67,018
25th$67,594
50th (median)$75,500
75th$85,500
90th$86,000

Cost of living

Durham's median entry-level Physicist salary of $75,500 is worth about $77,400 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Durham = 97.6).

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Duke University$79,75010

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $75,500 11
Mid-level · Level II too few 3
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

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$67,018$75,50011

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.