Materials Engineers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for materials engineerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $120,250 ≈ $58/hr
National median salary $112,860
Total employment 22,770 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +5.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings 1,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 23,000 → 24,300 (+1,300)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Mexico$173,000
- Washington$149,070
- Maryland$140,770
- Delaware$136,900
- California$131,090
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Montana$79,600
- Iowa$82,220
- Mississippi$94,600
- Wisconsin$95,180
- Rhode Island$98,270
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $173,000 | $165,600 | $83 | +43.9% | 450 |
| 2 | Washington | $149,070 | $139,840 | $72 | +24% | 1,000 |
| 3 | Maryland | $140,770 | $140,640 | $68 | +17.1% | 740 |
| 4 | Delaware | $136,900 | $131,320 | $66 | +13.8% | 40 |
| 5 | California | $131,090 | $128,470 | $63 | +9% | 3,020 |
| 6 | Texas | $126,480 | $117,700 | $61 | +5.2% | 1,440 |
| 7 | Colorado | $125,720 | $124,030 | $60 | +4.5% | 810 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $125,450 | $128,670 | $60 | +4.3% | 90 |
| 9 | New York | $123,860 | $125,900 | $60 | +3% | 590 |
| 10 | Oregon | $123,400 | $122,850 | $59 | +2.6% | 120 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $122,710 | $106,220 | $59 | +2% | 150 |
| 12 | Illinois | $122,070 | $126,620 | $59 | +1.5% | 290 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $120,360 | $122,300 | $58 | +0.1% | 420 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $120,350 | $114,100 | $58 | +0.1% | 1,360 |
| 15 | Florida | $118,040 | $118,780 | $57 | -1.8% | 690 |
| 16 | Virginia | $117,660 | $116,720 | $57 | -2.2% | 620 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $117,440 | $106,920 | $56 | -2.3% | 260 |
| 18 | Alaska | $116,720 | $123,360 | $56 | -2.9% | 70 |
| 19 | Ohio | $116,620 | $106,510 | $56 | -3% | 1,790 |
| 20 | Arizona | $116,520 | $106,810 | $56 | -3.1% | 580 |
| 21 | Kansas | $116,270 | $100,000 | $56 | -3.3% | 270 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $116,020 | $121,610 | $56 | -3.5% | 600 |
| 23 | Alabama | $114,610 | $107,580 | $55 | -4.7% | 650 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $112,240 | $103,900 | $54 | -6.7% | 90 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $110,700 | $104,240 | $53 | -7.9% | 640 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $109,870 | $110,970 | $53 | -8.6% | 40 |
| 27 | Georgia | $108,070 | $100,840 | $52 | -10.1% | 700 |
| 28 | Nevada | $107,480 | $99,010 | $52 | -10.6% | 100 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $106,970 | $100,620 | $51 | -11% | 280 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $106,890 | $101,290 | $51 | -11.1% | 70 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $106,560 | $98,030 | $51 | -11.4% | 720 |
| 32 | Maine | $104,980 | $97,110 | $50 | -12.7% | 100 |
| 33 | Indiana | $103,160 | $101,120 | $50 | -14.2% | 570 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $102,560 | $91,940 | $49 | -14.7% | 330 |
| 35 | Missouri | $102,030 | $98,860 | $49 | -15.2% | 300 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $101,740 | $99,950 | $49 | -15.4% | 240 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $100,320 | $98,270 | $48 | -16.6% | 160 |
| 38 | Utah | $100,130 | $88,080 | $48 | -16.7% | 460 |
| 39 | Michigan | $98,980 | $94,050 | $48 | -17.7% | 810 |
| 40 | Idaho | $98,410 | $105,820 | $47 | -18.2% | 90 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $98,270 | $87,180 | $47 | -18.3% | 50 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $95,180 | $96,210 | $46 | -20.8% | 280 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $94,600 | $78,700 | $45 | -21.3% | 100 |
| 44 | Iowa | $82,220 | $64,270 | $40 | -31.6% | 200 |
| 45 | Montana | $79,600 | $76,030 | $38 | -33.8% | 90 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 107 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $156,730 | $156,740 | 550 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $156,130 | $153,780 | 820 |
| 3 | Boulder, CO | $151,940 | $143,470 | 210 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $147,490 | $137,070 | 330 |
| 5 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $144,010 | $133,370 | 200 |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $140,640 | $145,070 | 660 |
| 7 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $138,430 | $129,760 | — |
| 8 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $137,290 | $134,600 | 260 |
| 9 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $134,630 | $132,170 | 130 |
| 10 | Decatur, AL | $134,370 | $129,920 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing materials engineerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $210,480 | $211,920 | 70 |
| 2 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $210,480 | $211,920 | 70 |
| 3 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $145,830 | $146,790 | 1,300 |
| 4 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $145,680 | $146,770 | 1,300 |
| 5 | Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $137,850 | $133,400 | 120 |
| 6 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $137,650 | $139,170 | 1,600 |
| 7 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $137,650 | $139,170 | 1,600 |
| 8 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $137,020 | $140,490 | 80 |
| 9 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $132,390 | $139,330 | 2,920 |
| 10 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $132,070 | $135,330 | 2,530 |
| 11 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $132,070 | $135,330 | 2,530 |
| 12 | Sector 81 - Other Services (except Public Administration) | $130,620 | $119,750 | 70 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do materials engineers make in the U.S.?
The median materials engineers salary in the United States is $112,860 per year (mean $120,250), and about 80% earn between $72,300 and $175,720.
How much do materials engineers make per hour?
Roughly $58 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $120,250 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays materials engineers the most?
New Mexico has the highest average pay for materials engineers at $173,000 per year (median $165,600).
What is the job outlook for materials engineers?
Employment is projected to change +5.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 1,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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