The average salary for a physicist in South Dakota is around $83,050 per year.
Avg Salary
Physicists earn an average yearly salary of $83,050.
Wages typically start from $53,910 and go up to $180,690.
70% above national average Updated in 2025
Physicist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level physicist earnings begin at:
$86.87 per hour
$180,690 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level physicist earnings begin at:
$64.57 per hour
$134,300 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level physicist earnings begin at:
$39.93 per hour
$83,050 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level physicist earnings begin at:
$31.81 per hour
$66,170 per year
10th percentile
Starting level physicist earnings begin at:
$25.92 per hour
$53,910 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Physicist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Michigan | $94,520 |
| South Dakota | $83,050 |
| Delaware | $82,590 |
| Vermont | $79,110 |
| Florida | $225,390 |
| New Hampshire | $214,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $210,990 |
| California | $207,490 |
| Oregon | $200,320 |
| Oklahoma | $200,050 |
| Kansas | $193,110 |
| Texas | $184,040 |
| New York | $181,970 |
| Kentucky | $180,910 |
| Connecticut | $180,300 |
| Iowa | $178,110 |
| Maryland | $174,390 |
| North Carolina | $174,180 |
| Wisconsin | $173,120 |
| Minnesota | $171,220 |
| Louisiana | $166,240 |
| New Mexico | $165,340 |
| Tennessee | $165,010 |
| New Jersey | $163,270 |
| Ohio | $162,900 |
| District of Columbia | $157,040 |
| Utah | $156,760 |
| Rhode Island | $155,150 |
| Nevada | $154,030 |
| Virginia | $145,040 |
| Georgia | $144,870 |
| Missouri | $140,460 |
| Alabama | $139,330 |
| South Carolina | $138,400 |
| Illinois | $137,140 |
| Arkansas | $135,820 |
| Idaho | $135,150 |
| Washington | $134,790 |
| Arizona | $130,500 |
| Mississippi | $129,970 |
| Hawaii | $117,190 |
| Massachusetts | $106,410 |
| Maine | $106,020 |
| Indiana | $105,940 |
| Colorado | $104,580 |
| Montana | $103,800 |
How do physicist salaries compare to similar careers?
Physicists earn about the same as related careers in South Dakota. On average, they make less than natural sciences managers but more than animal scientists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Natural sciences manager salary | $128K |
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $112K |
| Biochemical engineer salary | $112K |
| Nanosystems engineer salary | $112K |
| Physicist salary | $83K |
| Food science technologist salary | $71K |
| Geodesist salary | $77K |
| Scientist salary | $77K |
| Animal scientist salary | $77K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)