Materials Engineer salary

Q: How much does a materials engineer make?

The median materials engineer salary in the U.S. is about $108,310 per year. Most materials engineers earn between $68,040 and $172,000, and top earners (90th percentile) make $172,000 or more. These national figures come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS) wage data.

Q: How much do entry-level materials engineers make?

Entry-level materials engineers (0–2 years) earn about $84,500 per year, rising to roughly $117,000 at mid-level and $146,000+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Q: Do materials engineers make good money?

Yes. The median materials engineer salary of $108,310 is 10% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced materials engineers can earn $172,000 or more.

Q: Which cities pay materials engineers the most?

Estimated materials engineer pay is highest in San Jose ($151,260), Houston ($147,080), Seattle ($140,810). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

Verified

Updated March 2025

Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a range of products, from metals and ceramics to plastics and composites.

Median pay

$108,310

U.S. typical

Top earners

$172,000

90th percentile

Entry level

$84,500

0–2 yrs

Senior

$146,000

15+ yrs

The median materials engineer salary in the U.S. is about $108,310 per year. Entry-level pay starts near $68,040, while top earners (90th percentile) make $172,000 or more. Add your city and experience for a sharper, local number.

Median annual wage

$108,310

Mean

$116,380

10th pct · $68,04090th pct · $172,000

What materials engineers do

Study material properties and structures, develop new materials, and solve failure and processing problems.

Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a range of products, from metals and ceramics to plastics and composites.

What affects materials engineer pay

▹Industry (semiconductors and aerospace pay a premium)
▹Advanced degrees
▹Specialty (metallurgy, polymers, semiconductors)
▹Years of experience
▹Metro cost of labor

Materials Engineer salary by experience

Pay typically climbs from about $84,500 for entry level engineers to $146,000+ at the principal / staff level.

Entry level 0–2 yrs

$84,500

Early career 3–5 yrs

$102,000

Mid level 6–9 yrs

$117,000

Senior 10–14 yrs

$132,000

Principal / Staff 15+ yrs

$146,000

Your actual offer depends on company, location, and specialization — run the calculator for a tailored range.

Highest-paying cities for materials engineers

Published materials engineer pay in the top-paying U.S. metro areas, vs the national benchmark.

15results

Metro	State	Median	90th pct	vs U.S.	Data
San Jose California	CA	$151,260	$215,220	+40%	Verified
Houston Texas	TX	$147,080	$239,200	+36%	Verified
Seattle Washington	WA	$140,810	$218,730	+30%	Verified
New York City New York	NY	$137,650	$164,980	+27%	Verified
Dayton Ohio	OH	$136,300	$176,880	+26%	Verified
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia	DC	$135,400	$191,880	+25%	Verified
San Francisco California	CA	$134,560	$184,150	+24%	Verified
Charleston South Carolina	SC	$130,760	$164,470	+21%	Verified
Dallas Texas	TX	$126,350	$178,820	+17%	Verified
Baltimore Maryland	MD	$124,990	$183,750	+15%	Verified
San Diego California	CA	$124,130	$164,410	+15%	Verified
Denver Colorado	CO	$123,700	$171,960	+14%	Verified
Los Angeles California	CA	$119,580	$170,360	+10%	Verified
Virginia Beach Virginia	VA	$118,830	$172,780	+10%	Verified
Huntsville Alabama	AL	$118,270	$172,180	+9%	Verified

Materials Engineer salary by state

All 46 states with published materials engineer wage data, ranked highest to lowest. Open a state for its full metro-level breakdown.

Rank	State	Median	90th pct
1	Washington	$140,810	$218,730
2	Maryland	$130,920	$191,880
3	Delaware	$127,640	$172,000
4	California	$127,550	$181,500
5	Oregon	$127,360	$167,120
6	New York	$121,980	$163,610
7	Colorado	$121,430	$183,630
8	Alaska	$120,540	$149,820
9	Texas	$116,170	$190,560
10	Wyoming	$114,370	$121,800
11	Massachusetts	$111,030	$163,440
12	South Carolina	$110,730	$164,470
13	Alabama	$110,150	$164,530
14	Tennessee	$108,670	$155,180
15	Arizona	$108,260	$164,160
16	Minnesota	$106,430	$171,990
17	Virginia	$106,290	$169,100
18	Ohio	$106,060	$165,250
19	Illinois	$105,980	$173,990
20	New Hampshire	$105,840	$168,290
21	Kentucky	$105,090	$132,130
22	Connecticut	$104,390	$152,700
23	Florida	$104,040	$159,210
24	Idaho	$101,750	$169,590
25	Oklahoma	$101,100	$154,990
26	Louisiana	$100,990	$164,260
27	Montana	$100,600	$103,070
28	Arkansas	$100,330	$145,720
29	New Jersey	$100,240	$159,240
30	Missouri	$99,160	$163,720
31	Indiana	$98,290	$137,940
32	West Virginia	$97,960	$130,070
33	Nevada	$97,580	$157,400
34	Georgia	$97,380	$169,280
35	Kansas	$97,200	$152,460
36	Michigan	$96,660	$141,260
37	Wisconsin	$96,650	$131,790
38	North Carolina	$95,640	$138,330
39	Vermont	$93,210	$156,350
40	Rhode Island	$92,180	$149,790
41	Mississippi	$90,700	$151,720
42	Pennsylvania	$89,160	$149,710
43	Maine	$89,140	$134,730
44	Utah	$85,720	$136,810
45	Nebraska	$84,540	$129,280
46	Iowa	$76,640	$110,620

Figures are published state wage data, not modeled. States without published data for this occupation are not listed. See Source details for provenance.

Materials Engineer salary — frequently asked questions

How much does a materials engineer make?

The median materials engineer salary in the U.S. is about $108,310 per year. Most materials engineers earn between $68,040 and $172,000, and top earners (90th percentile) make $172,000 or more. These national figures come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS) wage data.

What is the highest materials engineer salary?

Top-earning materials engineers (90th percentile) make about $172,000 or more nationally. In the highest-paying metros, estimated pay can run even higher — for example around $151,260 in San Jose. Metro figures are cost-of-labor estimates, not direct BLS metro data.

How much do entry-level materials engineers make?

Entry-level materials engineers (0–2 years) earn about $84,500 per year, rising to roughly $117,000 at mid-level and $146,000+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Do materials engineers make good money?

Yes. The median materials engineer salary of $108,310 is 10% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced materials engineers can earn $172,000 or more.

Which cities pay materials engineers the most?

Estimated materials engineer pay is highest in San Jose ($151,260), Houston ($147,080), and Seattle ($140,810). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

How can a materials engineer earn more?

Materials Engineer pay rises most with industry (semiconductors and aerospace pay a premium), advanced degrees, and specialty (metallurgy, polymers, semiconductors). Moving to a higher-cost metro, specializing, and taking on senior or lead scope are the biggest levers — the salary calculator lets you model each one.

Source details

Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2131 (Materials Engineers), national.

Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →