Entry-level Physicist salary in Philadelphia, PA

Based on 12 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Darby, Newark.

Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist

Median salary$71,900
Middle 50%$69.3k–$78.9k
vs. all levels here−8%comparison median $78,000
Filings12FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $68,640 and $113,511.
PercentileSalary
10th$68,676
25th$69,254
50th (median)$71,900
75th$78,861
90th$84,752

Cost of living

Philadelphia's median entry-level Physicist salary of $71,900 is worth about $70,100 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Philadelphia = 102.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Physicists in the Philadelphia, PA area earned a median of $164,850 in May 2025 (150 employed). The H-1B median here is $71,900, 56% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvaniatoo few6
Agni Semiconductortoo few2
Temple University--A Commonwealth Universitytoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $71,900 12
Mid-level · Level II – 0
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$70,720$71,90012

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.