Average Biophysicist Salary in Samoa for 2026
A biophysicist in Samoa earns about 54,560 WST a year. That's 99% above the national average of 27,480 WST.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Samoa sit around 24,200 WST a year, while the very top stretches to 88,480 WST. Everything on this page is in Samoan tu0101lu0101 (WST, symbol T), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Samoa, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a biophysicist make in Samoa?
A typical biophysicist working in Samoa brings home around 4,546 WST a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 24,200 WST, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 88,480 WST for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior biophysicist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How biophysicist pay ranges in Samoa
A good way to think about salary in Samoa is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all biophysicists in Samoa earn less than 58,800 WST a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 39,080 WST (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 82,480 WST (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of biophysicists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 24,200 WST. The highest stretch to 88,480 WST, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Biophysicist pay by experience in Samoa
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a biophysicist in Samoa, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical biophysicist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years27,480 WST
- 2-5 Years+47% from previous40,420 WST
- 5-10 Years+47% from previous59,240 WST
- 10-15 Years+17% from previous69,260 WST
- 15-20 Years+13% from previous78,420 WST
- 20+ Years+8% from previous84,780 WST
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 47%. That is the point at which a biophysicist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Biophysicist pay by education in Samoa
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving biophysicist pay in Samoa. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average biophysicist salary in Samoa broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree34,980 WST
- Master's Degree+44% from previous50,540 WST
- PhD+72% from previous87,060 WST
Biophysicist gender pay gap in Samoa
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Samoa is no exception. Male biophysicists in Samoa earn an average of 60,880 WST a year, while female biophysicists earn around 52,540 WST. That works out to a 16% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Biophysicist gender pay gap
14%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Samoa.
Pay raises for a biophysicist in Samoa
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Samoa sees a raise of about 9% every 29 months, which works out to roughly 4% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Samoa, the national average raise is around 5% every 28 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Samoa:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education2%
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Biophysicist bonus rates in Samoa
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
43% of biophysicists in Samoa reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a biophysicist a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 57% of biophysicists reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Samoa
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Biophysicist: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Samoa is about 14% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
12%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Samoa on average.
Biophysicist in Samoa: FAQs
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How much does a biophysicist make per month in Samoa?
A biophysicist in Samoa earns about 4,546 WST a month before tax, based on an annual average of 54,560 WST.
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What's the salary range for a biophysicist in Samoa?
Entry-level biophysicists in Samoa start near 24,200 WST. Top-end pay reaches around 88,480 WST. The middle 50% of earners sit between 39,080 and 82,480 WST.
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Is the median biophysicist salary in Samoa higher or lower than the average?
The median is 58,800 WST, higher than the average of 54,560 WST. Half of biophysicists in Samoa earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for biophysicists in Samoa?
Men working as a biophysicist in Samoa earn around 16% more than women on average (60,880 vs 52,540 WST a year).
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Do biophysicists in Samoa get bonuses?
About 43% of biophysicists in Samoa reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.
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Do biophysicists earn more in the public or private sector in Samoa?
In Samoa, the public sector pays a biophysicist about 14% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do biophysicists in Samoa get a pay raise?
A biophysicist in Samoa sees a raise of around 9% every 29 months, equivalent to roughly 4% a year.