The national median salary for materials engineers is $112,860, with a salary spread of $103,420 from the 10th to 90th percentile -- a 92% range that reflects differences in experience, location, and industry. The mean salary of $120,250 is higher than the median, indicating that top earners pull the average upward. The highest-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, where the median reaches $156,730.
| City | Median | P25 | P75 | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $156,730 | $130,770 | $180,130 | 550 |
| Seattle, WA | $156,130 | $128,710 | $178,710 | 820 |
| Boulder, CO | $151,940 | $110,490 | $166,230 | 210 |
| New York, NY-NJ | $147,490 | $104,820 | $162,770 | 330 |
| Baltimore, MD | $144,010 | $101,070 | $162,260 | 200 |
| Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $140,640 | $113,780 | $180,480 | 660 |
| Orlando, FL | $138,430 | $118,830 | $138,430 | -- |
| Dayton, OH | $137,290 | $105,590 | $162,430 | 260 |
| Albany, NY | $134,630 | $106,440 | $161,820 | 130 |
| Decatur, AL | $134,370 | $98,630 | $165,530 | 50 |
| Charleston, SC | $131,080 | $109,290 | $131,080 | 200 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $130,440 | $108,520 | $168,120 | 50 |
| Sacramento, CA | $130,040 | $109,260 | $137,540 | 100 |
| San Francisco, CA | $129,480 | $97,560 | $160,540 | 340 |
| Portland, OR-WA | $128,250 | $96,900 | $158,530 | 70 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $127,740 | $95,640 | $160,320 | 380 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $127,230 | $85,560 | $127,240 | 160 |
| Denver, CO | $125,750 | $82,100 | $164,630 | 480 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $125,200 | $102,770 | $146,980 | 1,250 |
| Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $125,190 | $94,670 | $159,750 | 320 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $124,990 | $101,190 | $142,180 | 310 |
| San Diego, CA | $124,180 | $93,200 | $135,590 | 260 |
| Palm Bay, FL | $123,720 | $96,080 | $143,640 | 130 |
| Houston, TX | $123,250 | $87,100 | $172,240 | 560 |
| Oxnard, CA | $122,450 | $110,190 | $128,500 | 60 |
| Columbia, SC | $121,290 | $78,990 | $176,740 | 40 |
| Huntsville, AL | $120,720 | $100,640 | $151,300 | 280 |
| Dallas, TX | $117,700 | $100,310 | $161,940 | 440 |
| Durham, NC | $117,000 | $102,230 | $131,120 | 80 |
| Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $116,720 | $83,840 | $139,010 | 190 |
| Allentown, PA-NJ | $116,510 | $89,440 | $129,090 | 30 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $114,670 | $83,430 | $130,900 | 120 |
| Worcester, MA | $114,100 | $100,280 | $127,400 | 220 |
| Boston, MA-NH | $111,480 | $95,130 | $149,210 | 1,020 |
| Madison, WI | $111,050 | $105,370 | $141,500 | 30 |
| Tulsa, OK | $110,690 | $90,820 | $129,910 | 70 |
| Toledo, OH | $110,620 | $87,070 | $132,040 | 260 |
| Minneapolis, MN-WI | $110,350 | $103,670 | $148,180 | 130 |
| Riverside, CA | $109,100 | $82,860 | $124,660 | 90 |
| Hartford, CT | $108,840 | $97,710 | $133,510 | 60 |
| Greenville, SC | $106,580 | $91,140 | $133,160 | 230 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $106,560 | $106,560 | $133,960 | -- |
| Buffalo, NY | $106,450 | $88,380 | $138,520 | 80 |
| Cleveland, OH | $106,340 | $84,000 | $143,020 | 270 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $105,950 | $79,360 | $127,220 | 50 |
| Youngstown, OH | $105,400 | $85,940 | $129,380 | 30 |
| Charlotte, NC-SC | $104,910 | $93,140 | $135,190 | 140 |
| Mobile, AL | $104,610 | $76,760 | $123,690 | 80 |
| Columbus, OH | $104,370 | $84,550 | $137,300 | 220 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $104,360 | $88,610 | $127,810 | 60 |
| Raleigh, NC | $104,310 | $86,400 | $128,040 | -- |
| Trenton, NJ | $103,660 | $93,360 | $110,990 | 50 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $103,410 | $80,780 | $117,060 | 50 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $103,360 | $80,900 | $142,730 | 70 |
| Akron, OH | $102,630 | $88,630 | $139,540 | 110 |
| Richmond, VA | $102,440 | $77,600 | $132,450 | 200 |
| Providence, RI-MA | $101,670 | $87,180 | $117,570 | 130 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $101,230 | $76,180 | $128,940 | 100 |
| Atlanta, GA | $101,100 | $80,180 | $130,470 | 530 |
| Tampa, FL | $100,850 | $81,910 | $123,550 | 110 |
| Ogden, UT | $100,770 | $86,450 | $130,560 | 110 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $100,420 | $84,610 | $113,120 | 40 |
| Canton, OH | $100,250 | $85,030 | $104,120 | 30 |
| Detroit, MI | $100,070 | $75,390 | $127,570 | 460 |
| Wichita, KS | $100,000 | $83,860 | $135,880 | 190 |
| Birmingham, AL | $99,780 | $77,210 | $128,000 | 120 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $99,640 | $82,380 | $125,260 | 50 |
| Chicago, IL-IN | $99,590 | $76,220 | $136,520 | 250 |
| Reading, PA | $99,040 | $79,360 | $122,410 | 50 |
| Waterbury, CT | $98,460 | $88,860 | $112,920 | 40 |
| Harrisburg, PA | $98,440 | $78,880 | $105,710 | 40 |
| Greensboro, NC | $98,380 | $82,290 | $106,110 | 170 |
| Lincoln, NE | $96,960 | $57,030 | $105,700 | 50 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $96,790 | $84,360 | $112,490 | 90 |
| Miami, FL | $96,740 | $75,960 | $126,280 | 130 |
| Austin, TX | $96,730 | $67,090 | $129,230 | 90 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $96,610 | $86,200 | $106,190 | 30 |
| Tucson, AZ | $95,930 | $95,930 | $121,360 | 150 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $95,680 | $73,940 | $108,870 | 100 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $94,700 | $83,940 | $141,080 | 30 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $92,740 | $69,100 | $122,780 | 120 |
| Nashville, TN | $89,040 | $79,690 | $126,100 | 70 |
| Lafayette, IN | $85,130 | $82,720 | $102,910 | 40 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $85,000 | $76,740 | $120,050 | 50 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $84,880 | $64,630 | $108,120 | 100 |
| Knoxville, TN | $83,240 | $74,490 | $119,370 | 80 |
| San Antonio, TX | $82,800 | $72,100 | $133,780 | 90 |
| Lancaster, PA | $79,270 | $79,270 | $99,120 | 30 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $77,470 | $73,750 | $107,190 | 250 |
| Utica, NY | $71,820 | $67,950 | $80,340 | 40 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS. This data reflects occupational employment and wage estimates and may not capture total compensation including equity, bonuses, or benefits.