Physicist salary in New York, NY
Based on 288 certified H-1B filings in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Upton, Newark, Stony Brook, Elizabeth, Piscataway.
Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $73,851 |
| 25th | $83,130 |
| 50th (median) | $115,844 |
| 75th | $140,001 |
| 90th | $173,543 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $97,478 | $68,000 | $151,964 | 109 |
| FY2021 | $87,000 | $66,950 | $115,638 | 108 |
| FY2022 | $87,000 | $68,489 | $117,038 | 98 |
| FY2023 | $110,000 | $72,539 | $129,600 | 90 |
| FY2024 | $90,000 | $77,250 | $125,000 | 97 |
| FY2025 | $91,000 | $75,948 | $148,025 | 99 |
| FY2026 | $124,134 | $84,000 | $139,070 | 189 |
Cost of living
New York's median Physicist salary of $115,844 is worth about $102,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; New York = 112.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Physicists in the New York, NY area earned a median of $181,970 in May 2025 (1,070 employed). The H-1B median here is $115,844, 36% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | $126,526 | 174 |
| The Simons Foundation | $115,125 | 22 |
| Columbia University | $78,347 | 18 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $217,300 | 12 |
| Research Foundation Of Cuny | too few | 9 |
| New York University | too few | 8 |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | too few | 7 |
| Research Foundation for the State University of New York | too few | 7 |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | too few | 6 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $83,170 | 108 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $129,375 | 49 |
| Senior · Level III | $139,527 | 82 |
| Expert · Level IV | $196,116 | 19 |
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 | $71,261 | $83,170 | 108 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $97,074 | $129,375 | 49 |
| Senior · Level III | $122,907 | $139,527 | 82 |
| Expert · Level IV | $148,720 | $196,116 | 19 |
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.