SOC 19-2012 · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro

Physicists Salary in Tampa, FL

The average salary for physicists in Tampa, Florida is $244,380 a year ($117.49 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $266,260: half of the 70 people in this job in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 43% more than the U.S. average for this job ($171,180).

$244,380average per year

$117.49 / hourMedian $266,260Take-home ≈ $179,492

  • $126K10th
  • $222K25th
  • $266KMedian
  • $300K75th
  • $309K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

70people in this job
+43%vs U.S. average
#2 of 3Florida metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Physicists pay range in Tampa

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $126,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $308,580 or more. The middle half of physicists in Tampa earn between $222,230 and $300,030.

  • $126K10th
  • $222K25th
  • $266KMedian
  • $300K75th
  • $309K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$244,380$20,365$117.49
Median$266,260$22,188$128.01
Entry level (25th percentile)$222,230$18,519$106.84
Experienced (75th percentile)$300,030$25,002$144.25

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Physicists pay in Tampa vs. Florida and the U.S.

Physicists in Tampa earn 11% more than the Florida average ($219,910) and 43% more than the U.S. average ($171,180). At the median the gap is +55% against the U.S. median of $172,250.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Tampa$244,380$266,260$126,170$308,58070
Florida$219,910$225,390$113,240$308,580340
United States$171,180$172,250$82,110$274,11020,430

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Physicists salary after taxes in Tampa

On the average salary of $244,380, a single filer in Tampa takes home about $179,492 a year, or $14,958 a month and $6,904 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Florida paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Tampa a good place for physicists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Tampa area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.9), so the average $244,380 buys what about $242,224 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 5.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Tampa ($48,940). A typical home costs $360,738, or 1.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $244,380 is worth in another city

Physicists salary in other Florida cities

Tampa ranks 2nd of 3 Florida metro areas for this job; Miami pays the most ($245,010).

All Physicists salaries in Florida

Highest-paying cities for physicists

Miami, FL pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($245,010).

Physicists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Physicists in Tampa, FL.

Physicists salary in Tampa: questions

How much do physicists make an hour in Tampa?

$117.49 an hour on average, and $128.01 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level physicists salary in Tampa?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $126,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $222,230, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the physicists take-home pay in Tampa?

About $179,492 a year ($14,958 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $244,380. Florida has no state income tax.

Do physicists earn more in Tampa than elsewhere?

The average here is 43% more than the U.S. average for this job ($171,180).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-2012; area Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (45300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.35, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.35).

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