Physicist salary in Houston, TX
Based on 29 certified H-1B filings in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Katy, Sugar Land, Humble, The Woodlands, Conroe.
Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $60,000 |
| 25th | $61,800 |
| 50th (median) | $77,202 |
| 75th | $114,400 |
| 90th | $242,047 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $94,682 | $65,000 | $118,206 | 23 |
| FY2021 | $93,341 | $79,062 | $95,853 | 10 |
| FY2022 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 5 |
| FY2025 | $80,718 | $61,202 | $122,330 | 16 |
| FY2026 | $75,000 | $65,000 | $102,000 | 13 |
Cost of living
Houston's median Physicist salary of $77,202 is worth about $78,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Houston = 98.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Physicists in the Houston, TX area earned a median of $199,770 in May 2025 (140 employed). The H-1B median here is $77,202, 61% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| W.m. Rice University | $62,000 | 13 |
| Varian Medical Systems | too few | 4 |
| Applied Optoelectronics | too few | 2 |
| The Methodist Hospital Research Institute | too few | 2 |
| University of Houston | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $62,000 | 15 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 3 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 3 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $55,370 | $62,000 | 15 |
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.