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How much does a physicist make in Sacramento?

$120,500a year

Median yearly pay for physicists in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area. That is $57.93 an hour or $10,040 a month.

Hourly
$57.93
Vs. national median
-30%
Rank among cities
50 of 60
Jobs in the area
100
Pay range
Lowest 10%: $66,510Median: $120,500Highest 10%: $225,800
PercentileYearlyHourly
10th$66,510$31.98
25th$91,990$44.23
Median$120,500$57.93
75th$140,500$67.53
90th$225,800$108.55

Other cities in California

Median yearly pay for physicists.

San Jose, CA$173,500
Riverside, CA$164,000
Oxnard, CA$163,200
Los Angeles, CA$160,300
San Diego, CA$156,500
Bakersfield, CA$135,300
Physicist salary in California Physicist salary in all states

Related jobs in Sacramento

Same field, median yearly pay.

Psychologist$166,500
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$153,100
Medical Scientist$137,600
School Psychologist$131,900
Geoscientist$120,000
Microbiologist$112,500
Epidemiologist$112,000
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$108,400
Forester$107,800
Hydrologist$106,900
Salaries for every job in Sacramento, CA

Frequently asked questions

How much does a physicist make an hour in Sacramento?

The median hourly pay in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area is $57.93 ($120,500 a year).

Do physicists make more in Sacramento than the national average?

No: $120,500 against $172,300 nationally, 30% less.

How does Sacramento compare with the rest of California?

The median in California is $207,500, so Sacramento pays 42% less.

Where does Sacramento rank for physicist pay?

50 of 60 metro areas with data.

How much does a physicist make starting out in Sacramento?

The lowest-paid 10% make $66,510 or less a year; the top 10% make $225,800 or more.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.