Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$72,300
- 25th Percentile — Junior$88,080
- 50th Percentile — Median$112,860
- 75th Percentile — Senior$142,720
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$175,720
The top 10% of Materials Engineers earn $175,720 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $72,300, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii (est.) | $186,388 | +55.0% |
| District of Columbia (est.) | $182,780 | +52.0% |
| New Mexico | $173,000 | +43.9% |
| Washington | $149,070 | +24.0% |
| Maryland | $140,770 | +17.1% |
| Delaware | $136,900 | +13.8% |
| California | $131,090 | +9.0% |
| Vermont (est.) | $129,870 | +8.0% |
| Texas | $126,480 | +5.2% |
| Colorado | $125,720 | +4.5% |
| Louisiana | $125,450 | +4.3% |
| New York | $123,860 | +3.0% |
| Oregon | $123,400 | +2.6% |
| Minnesota | $122,710 | +2.0% |
| Illinois | $122,070 | +1.5% |
| Connecticut | $120,360 | +0.1% |
| Massachusetts | $120,350 | +0.1% |
| Florida | $118,040 | -1.8% |
| Virginia | $117,660 | -2.2% |
| New Jersey | $117,440 | -2.3% |
| Alaska | $116,720 | -2.9% |
| Ohio | $116,620 | -3.0% |
| Arizona | $116,520 | -3.1% |
| Kansas | $116,270 | -3.3% |
| South Carolina | $116,020 | -3.5% |
| Alabama | $114,610 | -4.7% |
| Arkansas | $112,240 | -6.7% |
| North Carolina | $110,700 | -7.9% |
| North Dakota (est.) | $110,630 | -8.0% |
| Wyoming | $109,870 | -8.6% |
| Georgia | $108,070 | -10.1% |
| Nevada | $107,480 | -10.6% |
| Kentucky | $106,970 | -11.0% |
| New Hampshire | $106,890 | -11.1% |
| Pennsylvania | $106,560 | -11.4% |
| Maine | $104,980 | -12.7% |
| South Dakota (est.) | $104,618 | -13.0% |
| Indiana | $103,160 | -14.2% |
| Tennessee | $102,560 | -14.7% |
| Missouri | $102,030 | -15.2% |
| Oklahoma | $101,740 | -15.4% |
| Nebraska | $100,320 | -16.6% |
| Utah | $100,130 | -16.7% |
| Michigan | $98,980 | -17.7% |
| Idaho | $98,410 | -18.2% |
| Rhode Island | $98,270 | -18.3% |
| Wisconsin | $95,180 | -20.8% |
| Mississippi | $94,600 | -21.3% |
| West Virginia (est.) | $93,795 | -22.0% |
| Iowa | $82,220 | -31.6% |
| Montana | $79,600 | -33.8% |
What Factors Affect Materials Engineers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Materials Engineers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: New Mexico pays an average of $173,000, while Montana pays $79,600 — a gap of $93,400 per year.
The middle half of Materials Engineers earn between $88,080 and $142,720 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $72,300, while the top 10% earn more than $175,720.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Mechanical Engineers $113,610/yr United States 5.5% vs this role
- Civil Engineers $108,670/yr United States 9.6% vs this role
- Electrical Engineers $125,100/yr United States +4.0% vs this role
- Industrial Engineers $109,900/yr United States 8.6% vs this role
- Aerospace Engineers $142,060/yr United States +18.1% vs this role
- Chemical Engineers $129,980/yr United States +8.1% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States 15.7% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +14.2% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Materials Engineers?
The average salary for Materials Engineers in the United States is $120,250 per year, with a median of $112,860.
What is the starting salary for Materials Engineers?
Entry-level Materials Engineers typically earn between $72,300 and $88,080 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Materials Engineers the most?
New Mexico pays Materials Engineers the most at $173,000 per year on average, followed by Washington ($149,070) and Maryland ($140,770).
How much do Materials Engineers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $120,250, Materials Engineers earn approximately $57.81 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Materials Engineers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 22,770 Materials Engineers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $120,250 and a median of $112,860 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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