SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-2131.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $72,300 | $6,025 | $1,390 | $34.76 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $88,080 | $7,340 | $1,694 | $42.35 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $112,860 | $9,405 | $2,170 | $54.26 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $142,720 | $11,893 | $2,745 | $68.61 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $175,720 | $14,643 | $3,379 | $84.48 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Materials Engineers is $112,860, which is 121% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 10 by median pay. With 22,770 jobs, it makes up about 1.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Materials Engineers pay by state
The highest median pay was in New Mexico ($165,600), Maryland ($140,640) and Washington ($139,840). The lowest was in Iowa ($64,270), Montana ($76,030) and Mississippi ($78,700). The most jobs were in California (3,020), Ohio (1,790) and Texas (1,440). The occupation is most concentrated in New Mexico, where its share of all jobs is 3.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 450 | $165,600 | $173,000 | $79.61 |
| Maryland | 740 | $140,640 | $140,770 | $67.62 |
| Washington | 1,000 | $139,840 | $149,070 | $67.23 |
| Delaware | 40 | $131,320 | $136,900 | $63.14 |
| Louisiana | 90 | $128,670 | $125,450 | $61.86 |
| California | 3,020 | $128,470 | $131,090 | $61.77 |
| Illinois | 290 | $126,620 | $122,070 | $60.87 |
| New York | 590 | $125,900 | $123,860 | $60.53 |
| Colorado | 810 | $124,030 | $125,720 | $59.63 |
| Alaska | 70 | $123,360 | $116,720 | $59.31 |
| Oregon | 120 | $122,850 | $123,400 | $59.06 |
| Connecticut | 420 | $122,300 | $120,360 | $58.80 |
| South Carolina | 600 | $121,610 | $116,020 | $58.47 |
| Florida | 690 | $118,780 | $118,040 | $57.11 |
| Texas | 1,440 | $117,700 | $126,480 | $56.59 |
| Virginia | 620 | $116,720 | $117,660 | $56.12 |
| Massachusetts | 1,360 | $114,100 | $120,350 | $54.85 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $110,970 | $109,870 | $53.35 |
| Alabama | 650 | $107,580 | $114,610 | $51.72 |
| New Jersey | 260 | $106,920 | $117,440 | $51.41 |
| Arizona | 580 | $106,810 | $116,520 | $51.35 |
| Ohio | 1,790 | $106,510 | $116,620 | $51.21 |
| Minnesota | 150 | $106,220 | $122,710 | $51.07 |
| Idaho | 90 | $105,820 | $98,410 | $50.88 |
| North Carolina | 640 | $104,240 | $110,700 | $50.11 |
| Arkansas | 90 | $103,900 | $112,240 | $49.95 |
| New Hampshire | 70 | $101,290 | $106,890 | $48.70 |
| Indiana | 570 | $101,120 | $103,160 | $48.62 |
| Georgia | 700 | $100,840 | $108,070 | $48.48 |
| Kentucky | 280 | $100,620 | $106,970 | $48.38 |
| Kansas | 270 | $100,000 | $116,270 | $48.08 |
| Oklahoma | 240 | $99,950 | $101,740 | $48.05 |
| Nevada | 100 | $99,010 | $107,480 | $47.60 |
| Missouri | 300 | $98,860 | $102,030 | $47.53 |
| Nebraska | 160 | $98,270 | $100,320 | $47.24 |
| Pennsylvania | 720 | $98,030 | $106,560 | $47.13 |
| Maine | 100 | $97,110 | $104,980 | $46.69 |
| Wisconsin | 280 | $96,210 | $95,180 | $46.25 |
| Michigan | 810 | $94,050 | $98,980 | $45.22 |
| Tennessee | 330 | $91,940 | $102,560 | $44.20 |
| Utah | 460 | $88,080 | $100,130 | $42.35 |
| Rhode Island | 50 | $87,180 | $98,270 | $41.91 |
| Mississippi | 100 | $78,700 | $94,600 | $37.84 |
| Montana | 90 | $76,030 | $79,600 | $36.56 |
| Iowa | 200 | $64,270 | $82,220 | $30.90 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Engineers, All Other$122,930 a year
- Electrical Engineers$120,630 a year
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors$115,160 a year
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects$112,230 a year
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers$109,370 a year
- Environmental Engineers$107,110 a year
Common questions
How much do Materials Engineers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $112,860 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $72,300 and the highest-paid 10% more than $175,720.
How many people work as Materials Engineers?
About 22,770 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.