Average Physicist Salary in Zimbabwe for 2026
In this article, we will look at the average Physicist salary for 2026 in Zimbabwe and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!
The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.
All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Zimbabwean dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the ZWL currency code instead of the currency symbol $.
How Much Does a Physicist Make in Zimbabwe?
A Physicist working in Zimbabwe will typically earn around 5,232,400 ZWL per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 2,411,500 ZWL to the highest average salary of 8,329,200 ZWL.
These are average salaries for a Physicist in Zimbabwe and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Physicist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.
Physicist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.
Distribution of Physicist Salaries in Zimbabwe
So we've looked at the average salaries a Physicist will earn in Zimbabwe. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.
Salary ranges
We already know that a Physicist can earn between 2,411,500 ZWL and 8,329,200 ZWL on average in Zimbabwe. This is known as the range in statistics.
The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.
Median salary
The median salary for a Physicist in Zimbabwe is 5,651,400 ZWL. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.
What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 5,651,400 ZWL, and 50% of the population earn more than 5,651,400 ZWL.
If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.
If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).
Percentiles
Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.
For the average Physicist salary in Zimbabwe, 25% of the population are earning less than 3,622,400 ZWL while 75% of the population earn more than 3,622,400 ZWL.
75% of the population earn less than 7,548,300 ZWL, and 25% of the population earn more than 7,548,300 ZWL.
Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.
The difference between a median and an average salary
The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.
- If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
- If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
- If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.
Physicist Salary by Experience Level in Zimbabwe
The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.
We have researched the average Physicist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.
- 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Physicist in Zimbabwe that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 2,734,500 ZWL.
- 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Physicist salary would increase to 3,648,200 ZWL.
- 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Physicist, the average salary would be 5,399,900 ZWL.
- 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 6,577,500 ZWL.
- 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Physicist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 7,174,700 ZWL.
- 20+ Years Experience. For a Physicist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 7,763,600 ZWL.
Average Salary by Experience Chart
| 0-2 Years | - | 2,734,500 ZWL |
| 2-5 Years | +34% | 3,648,200 ZWL |
| 5-10 Years | +48% | 5,399,900 ZWL |
| 10-15 Years | +22% | 6,577,500 ZWL |
| 15-20 Years | +9% | 7,174,700 ZWL |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 7,763,600 ZWL |
Physicist Salary by Education Level in Zimbabwe
As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?
In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.
The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.
In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Physicist in Zimbabwe based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.
- Bachelor's Degree. A Physicist in Zimbabwe with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 3,118,900 ZWL.
- Master's Degree. A Physicist in Zimbabwe with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 4,895,800 ZWL.
- PhD. A Physicist in Zimbabwe with a phd education can earn an average salary of 8,206,100 ZWL.
Average Salary by Education Chart
| Bachelor's Degree | - | 3,118,900 ZWL |
| Master's Degree | +57% | 4,895,800 ZWL |
| PhD | +68% | 8,206,100 ZWL |
How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?
The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Zimbabwe is around 1,080,000 to 3,250,000 ZWL and takes two years to complete.
As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.
It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.
Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.
Physicist Salary Compared by Gender
In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.
In Zimbabwe, a male physicist will earn an average of 5,555,200 ZWL, while a female physicist will earn around 4,919,600 ZWL.
This means that a male physicist earns approximately 13% more than a female physicist for performing the same job.
Average Salary by Gender Chart in Zimbabwe
| Male | - | 5,555,200 ZWL |
| Female | -13% | 4,919,600 ZWL |
Physicist Average Pay Raise in Zimbabwe
In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.
From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Physicist in Zimbabwe is around 8% every 30 months.
The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Zimbabwe is around 4% every 29 months.
In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.
To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:
Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12
So for this example, it would be:
Annual Increase = ( 8 ÷ 30 ) × 12 = 3%
What this means is that a Physicist in Zimbabwe can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 3% every 12 months.
Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Zimbabwe for 2026
In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Zimbabwe.
You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.
| Banking | - | 9% |
| Energy | - | 9% |
| Information Technology | - | 9% |
| Healthcare | - | 9% |
| Travel | - | 9% |
| Construction | - | 9% |
| Education | - | 9% |
Physicist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Zimbabwe
Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.
Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.
A Physicist is a low bonus based job, with 44% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.
56% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.
For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7%.
| Received Bonus | - | 44% |
| No Bonus | - | 56% |
What are the Types of Bonus?
There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:
- Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
- Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
- Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
- Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.
Government vs Private Sector Salaries
Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.
Public sector employees in Zimbabwe earn approximately 25% more than private sector employees in the same role.
| Public Sector | - | 2,893,600 ZWL |
| Private Sector | -25% | 2,314,800 ZWL |
Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Physicist
In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Physicist in Zimbabwe.
| Job Title | Category | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Lab Technologist | Science and Technical Services | 2,389,200 ZWL |
| Algorithm Developer | Science and Technical Services | 3,323,300 ZWL |
| Analytical Chemist | Science and Technical Services | 4,594,300 ZWL |
| Anthropologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,539,100 ZWL |
| Archeologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,349,100 ZWL |
| Assistant Breeder | Science and Technical Services | 1,645,600 ZWL |
| Astronomer | Science and Technical Services | 5,833,500 ZWL |
| Atmospheric and Space Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,726,900 ZWL |
| Behavior Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 3,108,200 ZWL |
| Behavior Intervention Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 3,586,300 ZWL |
| Behavior Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 3,144,700 ZWL |
| Biochemist | Science and Technical Services | 5,461,900 ZWL |
| Biofuels Processing Technician | Science and Technical Services | 2,197,700 ZWL |
| Biofuels Production Manager | Science and Technical Services | 3,685,200 ZWL |
| Biologist | Science and Technical Services | 5,242,700 ZWL |
| Biomedical Laboratory Officer | Science and Technical Services | 2,076,600 ZWL |
| Biomedical Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 5,771,600 ZWL |
| Biophysicist | Science and Technical Services | 5,507,100 ZWL |
| Chemical Engineer | Science and Technical Services | 2,688,800 ZWL |
| Chemical Technologist | Science and Technical Services | 2,485,800 ZWL |
| Chemist | Science and Technical Services | 5,146,100 ZWL |
| Chief Technologist | Science and Technical Services | 4,762,300 ZWL |
| Climate Change Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 3,529,600 ZWL |
| Clinical Laboratory Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 5,434,400 ZWL |
| Computer Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,201,000 ZWL |
| Conservation Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,499,000 ZWL |
| DNA Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 5,698,400 ZWL |
| Data Science Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 3,288,400 ZWL |
| Data Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,320,200 ZWL |
| Ecologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,946,200 ZWL |
| Economic Development Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 4,162,800 ZWL |
| Flavourist | Science and Technical Services | 1,825,000 ZWL |
| Food Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 3,635,200 ZWL |
| Forensic Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,488,100 ZWL |
| Formulation Technologist | Science and Technical Services | 2,110,600 ZWL |
| Fraud Investigator | Science and Technical Services | 2,641,300 ZWL |
| Genomics Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 5,267,700 ZWL |
| Geographer | Science and Technical Services | 2,854,700 ZWL |
| Geographic Information Systems Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,908,800 ZWL |
| Geological Data Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,858,200 ZWL |
| Geological Technician | Science and Technical Services | 2,290,300 ZWL |
| Geologist | Science and Technical Services | 4,739,800 ZWL |
| Geomatics Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,585,100 ZWL |
| Geophysical Data Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,741,800 ZWL |
| Geospatial Information Scientist and Technologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,984,100 ZWL |
| Global Technical Lead | Science and Technical Services | 5,628,400 ZWL |
| Hydrologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,469,900 ZWL |
| Industrial Ecologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,805,100 ZWL |
| Intelligence Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 3,071,100 ZWL |
| Knowledge Management Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 2,711,900 ZWL |
| Lab Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 2,281,800 ZWL |
| Lab Manager | Science and Technical Services | 3,817,500 ZWL |
| Lab Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,645,600 ZWL |
| Laboratory Manager | Science and Technical Services | 3,648,200 ZWL |
| Laboratory Researcher | Science and Technical Services | 2,508,300 ZWL |
| Laboratory Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,668,900 ZWL |
| Life Sciences Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 3,529,600 ZWL |
| Life Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,391,800 ZWL |
| Marine Architect | Science and Technical Services | 3,514,400 ZWL |
| Marine Biologist | Science and Technical Services | 4,067,600 ZWL |
| Marine Superintendent | Science and Technical Services | 2,242,500 ZWL |
| Materials Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 2,389,200 ZWL |
| Materials Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 3,959,700 ZWL |
| Mathematician | Science and Technical Services | 4,369,800 ZWL |
| Medical Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 5,471,700 ZWL |
| Metallurgist | Science and Technical Services | 3,912,600 ZWL |
| Meteorologist | Science and Technical Services | 4,079,300 ZWL |
| Microbiologist | Science and Technical Services | 5,676,700 ZWL |
| Natural Language Processing Researcher | Science and Technical Services | 3,373,200 ZWL |
| Natural Resource Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 3,205,100 ZWL |
| Natural Resources Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 3,263,500 ZWL |
| Natural Sciences Manager | Science and Technical Services | 5,292,500 ZWL |
| Nuclear Engineer | Science and Technical Services | 6,048,900 ZWL |
| Physical Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,235,500 ZWL |
| Political Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,176,700 ZWL |
| Polygraph Examiner | Science and Technical Services | 1,537,500 ZWL |
| Polysomnographic Technologist | Science and Technical Services | 2,471,700 ZWL |
| Product Development Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,391,800 ZWL |
| Quantitative Research Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 3,672,500 ZWL |
| Quantitative Researcher | Science and Technical Services | 3,840,400 ZWL |
| Radiation Protection Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 2,941,000 ZWL |
| Refrigeration Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,259,300 ZWL |
| Research Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 3,829,500 ZWL |
| Risk Safety Engineer | Science and Technical Services | 2,543,000 ZWL |
| Scientific Photographer | Science and Technical Services | 2,374,400 ZWL |
| Scientific Programmer | Science and Technical Services | 3,514,400 ZWL |
| Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 3,925,200 ZWL |
| Service Engineer | Science and Technical Services | 2,423,000 ZWL |
| Service Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,632,100 ZWL |
| Social Science Research Assistant | Science and Technical Services | 2,242,500 ZWL |
| Social Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 4,345,400 ZWL |
| Sociologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,946,200 ZWL |
| Soil Scientist | Science and Technical Services | 3,469,900 ZWL |
| Statistical Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 2,314,800 ZWL |
| Statistical Assistant | Science and Technical Services | 1,765,300 ZWL |
| Statistician | Science and Technical Services | 3,850,500 ZWL |
| Survey Analyst | Science and Technical Services | 2,254,400 ZWL |
| Survey Researcher | Science and Technical Services | 2,184,900 ZWL |
| Surveying and Mapping Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,547,500 ZWL |
| Team Leader | Science and Technical Services | 3,385,800 ZWL |
| Technical Manager | Science and Technical Services | 3,745,100 ZWL |
| Technical Officer | Science and Technical Services | 1,678,300 ZWL |
| Technical Service Director | Science and Technical Services | 4,919,600 ZWL |
| Technical Services Regulatory Affairs Specialist | Science and Technical Services | 2,533,800 ZWL |
| Technical Services Research Associate | Science and Technical Services | 2,724,700 ZWL |
| Technical Services Research Coordinator | Science and Technical Services | 2,782,600 ZWL |
| Technical Services Research and Development Manager | Science and Technical Services | 5,890,200 ZWL |
| Technician | Science and Technical Services | 1,632,100 ZWL |
| Water Ecologist | Science and Technical Services | 4,752,100 ZWL |
| Wildlife Biologist | Science and Technical Services | 3,805,100 ZWL |
Salary Comparison by City
If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Zimbabwe, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.
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