California · SOC 17-2131
Materials Engineer Salary in California
VerifiedPublished wages for materials engineers in California, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Materials Engineers in California earn a median of $127,550 per year ($131,080 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $106,080–$153,110; the top 10% earn $181,500. That is 18% above the national median of $108,310, ranking California #4 of 46 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$127,550
+18% vs national
Top 10% earn
$181,500
90th percentile
Employed in state
2,760
Reliability Good (6% RSE)
Materials Engineer pay distribution — California vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $87,070 | +28% |
| 25th percentile | $106,080 | +24% |
| Median50th percentile | $127,550 | +18% |
| 75th percentile | $153,110 | +11% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $181,500 | +6% |
| Meanaverage | $131,080 | +13% |
Where materials engineers earn most in California
Metro areas in California where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2131. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $151,260 | $215,220 | 480 |
| San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $134,560 | $184,150 | 420 |
| SacramentoSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $127,140 | $172,480 | 80 |
| BakersfieldBakersfield-Delano, CA | $125,580 | $184,720 | 40 |
| San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $124,130 | $164,410 | 230 |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $119,580 | $170,360 | 1,160 |
| StocktonStockton-Lodi, CA | $115,260 | $138,410 | 30 |
| OxnardOxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $113,870 | $130,470 | 40 |
| RiversideRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $106,100 | $142,820 | 80 |
California engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.03
Jobs per 1,000
0.15
State rank (pay)
#4 of 46
All engineering roles
$154,208
A location quotient of 1.03 means California employs materials engineers at roughly the national rate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a materials engineer make in California?
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2131 (Materials Engineers), California (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →