Salary comparison
Chemical Engineer vs Materials Engineer salary
Chemical Engineers out-earn materials engineers by about $13,550 at the median. Here is the full side-by-side breakdown — pay range, top states, and experience.
Chemical Engineers earn more — a median of $121,860 versus $108,310 for materials engineers, a gap of about $13,550 (13%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Chemical Engineer
Verified$121,860
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $78,520
- Top 10%
- $182,150
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Materials Engineer
Verified$108,310
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $68,040
- Top 10%
- $172,000
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Chemical Engineer vs Materials Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileChemical Engineer | $78,520 |
| MedianChemical Engineer | $121,860 |
| 90th percentileChemical Engineer | $182,150 |
| 10th percentileMaterials Engineer | $68,040 |
| MedianMaterials Engineer | $108,310 |
| 90th percentileMaterials Engineer | $172,000 |
Pay by experience
Modeled progression from entry to principal level for each role (estimated from the national percentile curve).
Chemical Engineer
Materials Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Chemical Engineer
- Oklahoma$160,990
- New Mexico$147,290
- West Virginia$139,730
- Texas$135,160
- Virginia$132,550
Materials Engineer
- Washington$140,810
- Maryland$130,920
- Delaware$127,640
- California$127,550
- Oregon$127,360
Which should you choose?
On pay alone, chemical engineers earn about 13% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick chemical engineer if…
Chemical engineers apply chemistry, physics, and biology to design processes that produce chemicals, fuels, drugs, and food.
- ▹Industry (oil & gas and pharma pay above commodities)
- ▹Process vs. R&D vs. plant operations
- ▹Years of experience
Pick materials engineer if…
Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a range of products, from metals and ceramics to plastics and composites.
- ▹Industry (semiconductors and aerospace pay a premium)
- ▹Advanced degrees
- ▹Specialty (metallurgy, polymers, semiconductors)
Chemical Engineer vs Materials Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, chemical engineers or materials engineers?
What is the salary range for chemical engineers vs materials engineers?
Should I become a chemical engineer or a materials engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2041 (Chemical Engineers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →