Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · CBSA 47900
Materials Engineer Salary in Washington, D.C.
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for materials engineers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against District of Columbia and the national benchmark.
Materials Engineers in Washington, D.C. earn a median of $135,400 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $103,830–$168,590; the top 10% earn $191,880. That is 25% above the national median. BLS reports 760 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$135,400
+25% vs national
Top 10% earn
$191,880
90th percentile
Employed in metro
760
Reliability Moderate (13.7% RSE)
Materials Engineer pay — Washington, D.C. vs District of Columbia vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $76,900 | +13% |
| 25th percentile | $103,830 | +21% |
| Median50th percentile | $135,400 | +25% |
| 75th percentile | $168,590 | +22% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $191,880 | +12% |
| Meanaverage | $136,510 | +17% |
How concentrated materials engineers are in Washington, D.C.
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
1.65
Jobs per 1,000
0.24
Metro rank (pay)
#9 of 94
All engineering roles
$144,482
At a location quotient of 1.65, Washington, D.C. is a genuine hub for this discipline — the occupation is roughly 1.6× as concentrated here as nationally, which usually means deeper employer competition and more lateral options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a materials engineer make in Washington, D.C.?
Does Washington, D.C. pay more than the rest of District of Columbia?
Where does Washington, D.C. rank nationally for materials engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2131 (Materials Engineers), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →