The median annual wage of physicists was $106,370 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $58,850, and the top 10 percent earned at least $166,400.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of physicists in May 2010 were as follows:
| Health care and social assistance | $151,970 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 132,040 |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 112,220 |
| Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences | 102,420 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools | 80,130 |
The median annual wage for astronomers was $87,260 in May 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $48,710, and the top 10 percent earned more than $155,480.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of astronomers in May 2010 were as follows:
| Federal government, excluding postal service | $137,420 |
| Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences | 92,040 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 64,070 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition