FederalPay.org
Physicist - Federal Salaries of 2021
Pay Rates for "Physicist"
How much does a Physicist in the federal government get paid? $149,478.19* *Based on the 2021 average.Physicist was the 190th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2021, with 764 employed. The most common payscale was the scientific and engineering professional payscale.
In 2021, the National Institute of Standards and Technology hired the most employees titled Physics, with an average salary of $148,764.
Government Physics jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Physics job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions fall under this job category. Due to the growing focus of them STEM fields, individuals in this job category tend to advance more quickly than employees in the other job categories. Jobs in this category are being added quickly and many organizations have trouble finding qualified individuals. Individuals in this job category typically recieve pormotions of 2 grade increases at a time until they reach GS-12.
Agencies that have hired a Physicist
Physicist Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Physicist is $149,478.19. The highest paid Physicist made $256,797 in 2021.
Common Physicist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Physics Employees |
|---|---|
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 407 |
| GS - General Schedule | 197 |
| RG - Scientists Appointed As Fellows And Compensated Under 42 U.s.c. 209(g). Includes Non-citizens Whose Employment | 61 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 26 |
| RF - Employees Appointed And Compensated As Special Consultants Under 42 U.s.c. 209(f). Includes Non-citizens Whose | 26 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 16 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 10 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 9 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 4 |
| RS - Senior Biomedical Research Service | 3 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 2 |
| NN - Employees In The National Nuclear Security Administration's Engineering And Scientific Career Path | 1 |
| EJ - The Department Of Energy Organization Act Excepted Service | 1 |
| EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $36,070.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $152,771.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10 |
| Category: | Professional and Scientific |
| Occupation Family: | 1300 PHYSICAL SCIENCES GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Physics jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Marketing | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Intelligence | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Information Receptionist | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Industrial Engineering Technical | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Hydrology | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
Average Physics Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for a Physicist was $106,916. Since then, the average pay has increased to $149,478 in 2021.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 1310.