How much do Physicists make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

Percentile spread

For Physicists, the published 10th percentile is $84,450 and the 90th percentile is $219,080. The difference is $134,630, which is 86.0% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $107,970 to the 75th at $209,670, covers $101,700.

The mean annual wage is $159,690, which sits above the median of $156,480. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA median is 9.2% lower than the national median of $172,250 for Physicists. In 2024 national prices the local median is $139,855, which is 18.8% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 24.6% lower than the California median of $207,490.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is 111.887, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $156,480 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Physicists at $139,855 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

4 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Physicists. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA ranks 4th of 5 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is 110 miles away, with a median of $160,270 and employment of 550. That median is 2.4% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $141,125, against $139,855 here.
• Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA is 111 miles away, with a median of $163,990. That median is 4.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $154,065, against $139,855 here.
• Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA is 164 miles away, with a median of $163,210 and employment of 50. That median is 4.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $147,656, against $139,855 here.

Employment share

Physicists accounts for 0.02% of wage-and-salary employment in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (290 of 1,538,060). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (20,430 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.44 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.