Projected pay for Physicists (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $172,250 → in 3 years $185,500 → in 5 years $194,900 → in 10 years $220,500 (10-year range $189,600–$256,000). The model assumes pay growth of +2.5% per year.
$172,250
Now 2026
$185,500
In 3 yrs 2029
$171,300–$201,900
$194,900
In 5 yrs 2031
$175,600–$217,100
$220,500
In 10 yrs 2036
$189,600–$256,000
What drives the annual growth rate
Base wage growth +3.0%Labor demand +0.16%AI impact -0.66%Total +2.5% / yr
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Physicists
60/100
★★★☆☆
Average · ranked #231 of all U.S. occupations
Pay level
97 pts
AI resistance
28 pts
Entry barrier
92 pts
Annual openings
14 pts
Projected growth
86 pts
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Labor demand for Physicists
Employment
20K
BLS OEWS
Projected employment
25K
2025–35
Projected change
+7.2%
ranked #118 for growth
Annual openings
1,300
growth + replacement needs
Demand score
Average
54/100
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience
None
in a related occupation
On-the-job training
None
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination.
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.