Occupation overview

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for physics teachers, postsecondary is $100,310, or — per hour. About 13,090 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $139,420 in California to $64,900 in Arkansas.

Median annual

$100,310

Median hourly

—

Entry level (P10)

$60,200

Top 10% (P90)

$177,850

Employment

13,090

States covered

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile

$60,200

$74,050

$100,310

$132,650

$60,200$100,310$177,850

Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $100,310.

Salary by state

All 47 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#	State	Median annual	Median hourly	Employment	Location quotient
1	California	$139,420	—	1,130	0.74
2	Connecticut	$112,410	—	260	1.80
3	Massachusetts	$111,280	—	680	2.23
4	Maryland	$110,980	—	300	1.29
5	Michigan	$109,090	—	460	1.23
6	New Mexico	$108,850	—	70	1.02
7	Delaware	$108,810	—	70	1.64
8	Minnesota	$107,240	—	250	1.00
9	Idaho	$106,040	—	50	0.69
10	Virginia	$104,490	—	610	1.75
11	Oregon	$104,320	—	230	1.42
12	Maine	$104,270	—	60	1.08
13	Iowa	$104,270	—	120	0.93
14	New York	$103,100	—	1,080	1.32
15	Indiana	$102,970	—	270	1.02
16	North Dakota	$101,700	—	40	0.98
17	Georgia	$101,580	—	210	0.51
18	Missouri	$99,970	—	230	0.91
19	Utah	$99,860	—	120	0.79
20	Colorado	$99,280	—	280	1.15
21	New Hampshire	$99,050	—	40	0.66
22	New Jersey	$98,920	—	530	1.46
23	Nebraska	$98,460	—	70	0.86
24	Vermont	$98,390	—	50	1.79
25	Pennsylvania	$98,370	—	580	1.13
26	West Virginia	$98,320	—	50	0.80
27	Montana	$98,050	—	70	1.52
28	Texas	$97,760	—	1,110	0.94
29	Kansas	$97,140	—	110	0.88
30	Washington	$96,930	—	310	1.04
31	Nevada	$96,330	—	90	0.71
32	Ohio	$96,310	—	420	0.91
33	Illinois	$94,900	—	540	1.05
34	Oklahoma	$91,580	—	90	0.62
35	Louisiana	$90,040	—	90	0.55
36	Wisconsin	$89,630	—	210	0.85
37	North Carolina	$87,370	—	440	1.07
38	South Dakota	$86,010	—	30	0.89
39	District of Columbia	$85,190	—	130	2.25
40	Alabama	$82,750	—	170	0.97
41	South Carolina	$81,210	—	150	0.77
42	Tennessee	$80,630	—	340	1.25
43	Kentucky	$80,270	—	160	0.94
44	Florida	$74,050	—	180	0.22
45	Mississippi	$71,160	—	100	0.97
46	Arizona	$65,730	—	350	1.29
47	Arkansas	$64,900	—	30	0.30

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140

Frequently asked questions

How much do physics teachers, postsecondary make?

The median annual wage for physics teachers, postsecondary in the United States is $100,310, or — per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $60,200, and the top 10% earn $177,850.

How many physics teachers, postsecondary are employed in the U.S.?

About 13,090 people work as physics teachers, postsecondary nationwide.

Which state pays physics teachers, postsecondary the most?

California pays the most at a median of $139,420, followed by Connecticut ($112,410) and Massachusetts ($111,280).

Which state pays physics teachers, postsecondary the least?

Arkansas has the lowest median at $64,900.

Where are physics teachers, postsecondary jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is District of Columbia at 2.25×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes