The following summary of the latest salary data for physicists and related scientists is taken from the 2000 Member Salary Report of the Statistical Research Center in the American Institute of Physics (AIP). It is a biennial survey of a sample of U.S.-resident members of the AIP Member Societies. For this year, the trends include:

- The median annual salary for full-time employed society members with PhDs rose to $78,000, with master's degrees $63,800 and bachelor's degrees $60,000.

- Respondents working in industry, medical services, university affiliated research institutes and universities with 9-10 month contracts reported median salaries 5-14% higher than the median levels in 1998. Larger increases occurred among society members in their early or late careers than among those in mid-careers.

- The highest median salaries were reported by society members with PhDs employed in hospitals or medical services, at $100,000. Those working at 4-year colleges with 9-10 month contracts have continued to earn the lowest median salary at $50,000.

- Among those employed in industry, PhDs in the Pacific states earn the highest median salary, $98,000. Among PhDs working in academe, those in the East South Central and West North Central states report the lowest median annual salary, $55,000.

- Members with postdoctorate appointments at universities and observatories who earned their PhDs within the past two years reported a median salary of $36,000.

- The unemployment rate (0.6%) among society members with PhDs is the lowest in the past decade. Part-time employment comprises approximately 3% of the PhD workforce.

- Female society members who earned their PhDs within the last 10 years report average salaries comparable to their male colleagues with similar experience. Among PhDs working in government in their early careers, men reported salaries substantially higher than those reported by women. Among late career PhDs working in universities with 9-10 month contracts, women reported salaries substantially higher than those reported by men.

Employment Sector Median

Salary Age

University (b) 9-10 Month Salary $68,000 49

11-12 Month Salary $77,000 49

4 Year College 9-10 Month Salary $50,000 47

Industry/Self-Employed $90,200 48

Government $88,700 51

FFR&DC (c) $96,000 49

Nonprofit $80,000 47

Hospital/Medical Services (b) $100,000 50

UARI (c) $75,700 46

(a) Postdoctorates not included.
(b) Professors working in medical schools are included in hospitals/medical services.
(c) FFR&DCs are Federally Funded Research and Development Centers; UARIs are University Affiliated Research Institutes.