Physicists · SOC 19-2012
Physicists Salary in the Albuquerque Metro Area
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Albuquerque, NM metro area
Figures describe the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Albuquerque city limits.
Physicists in the Albuquerque, NM metro area earned a median of $165,340 per year ($79.49 per hour) as of the May 2025 BLS OEWS estimates. Pay ranged from $120,720 at the 10th percentile to $225,300 at the 90th. BLS estimates 330 people work in this occupation in the area.
Pay distribution
Half of Physicists in the Albuquerque metro area earn more than $165,340 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $154,960 and $203,570.
| Wage | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $120,720 | $154,960 | $165,340 | $203,570 | $225,300 |
| Hourly | $58.04 | $74.50 | $79.49 | $97.87 | $108.32 |
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares
- Albuquerque metro areathis metro area$165,340 median for Albuquerque metro area; middle half earns $154,960 to $203,570
- New Mexicostate (NM)$165,340 median for New Mexico; middle half earns $160,090 to $203,210
- United Statesnational$172,250 median for United States; middle half earns $111,720 to $222,760
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is about the same vs New Mexico overall and −4% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally
Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Albuquerque metro area has the 21st-highest published median for this occupation among the 60 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in New Mexico
Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for physicists, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
- Albuquerque metro areathis page$165,340 median for Albuquerque metro area; middle half earns $154,960 to $203,570
- $112,400 median for Las Cruces metro area; middle half earns $84,990 to $144,040
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring
Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Highest-paying metro areas for physicistss · Highest-paying occupations in Albuquerque Metro
About this estimate
These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.