Physical scientists salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for physical scientists in the UK is £55,518 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £3,563 a month.
Pay range for physical scientists
This is the ONS occupation group "Physical scientists" (SOC 2020 code 2114). ONS figures for 2025 show that a quarter earn less than £44,414 and half earn less than £55,518.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £44,414 | £3,701 | £35,498 | £2,958 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £55,518 | £4,627 | £42,758 | £3,563 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for physical scientists as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 13%. ONS estimates about 10,000 full-time employee jobs in this occupation. ONS says job counts like this are indicative only.
Where physical scientists rank
The median for physical scientists ranks 34th of 362 occupations on this site, in the top quarter, and 14th of 91 in professional occupations. It is £16,479 (42.2%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for physical scientists rose 1.0%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Production managers and directors in construction (£56,021), Aerospace engineers (£55,839), Research and development (R&D) managers (£55,519), Generalist medical practitioners (£55,494), Managers and directors in the creative industries (£54,772) and Cyber security professionals (£54,647).
How spread out pay is
ONS published the 25th percentile (£44,414) but not the 75th, so we cannot show the middle half of the range for physical scientists.
ONS did not publish a mean for physical scientists, only the median.
Physical scientists and related jobs
Among these 6 jobs in the same ONS minor group, this one has the highest median. The highest median among them is £55,518 (physical scientists) and the lowest £39,899 (social and humanities scientists).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical scientists | 2114 | £55,518 | £3,563 |
| Biochemists and biomedical scientists | 2113 | £47,892 | £3,167 |
| Biological scientists | 2112 | £45,382 | £3,016 |
| Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. | 2119 | £43,384 | £2,896 |
| Chemical scientists | 2111 | £39,983 | £2,692 |
| Social and humanities scientists | 2115 | £39,899 | £2,687 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, physical scientists take home about £3,563 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical scientists | £55,518 | £3,563 | £3,425 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Professional occupations table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 2114. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £55,518, take-home pay is about £3,563 a month (£42,758 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £3,425 a month.
ONS figures for full-time jobs (2025) show that a quarter earn less than £44,414 and half earn less than £55,518. ONS did not publish every point in the range because some estimates are not reliable enough.
Yes. The median for physical scientists is £55,518, which is £16,479 (42.2%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 34th of 362 occupations on this site.