Senior Physicist salary in New York, NY
Based on 82 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $124,987 |
| 25th | $129,011 |
| 50th (median) | $139,527 |
| 75th | $148,444 |
| 90th | $158,375 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,010 | $112,000 | $175,500 | 31 |
| FY2021 | $117,250 | $110,200 | $122,825 | 31 |
| FY2022 | $117,050 | $114,700 | $121,650 | 21 |
| FY2023 | $126,000 | $116,975 | $136,650 | 31 |
| FY2024 | $125,000 | $120,000 | $140,372 | 27 |
| FY2025 | $144,144 | $132,574 | $153,514 | 16 |
| FY2026 | $138,483 | $128,956 | $144,149 | 66 |
Cost of living
New York's median senior Physicist salary of $139,527 is worth about $124,000 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 $139,527, 23% lower.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | $134,609 | 73 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | too few | 6 |
| NYU Grossman School of Medicine | 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 | $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.