occupation · 17-2131 · detailed
Materials Engineers — wages and employment
Materials Engineers earned a median annual wage of $108,310 in the United States in May 2024, with 22,770 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Materials Engineers earned a median annual wage of $108,310 in the United States in May 2024, with 22,770 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $68,040 or less, the best-paid tenth $172,000 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $104,100 to $108,310, +4.0 %. The best-paying state is Washington at $140,810; the lowest Iowa at $76,640. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $151,260. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 22,770 | $108,310 | $116,380 | $68,040 | $85,820 | $138,370 | $172,000 | $52.07 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 24,630 | $104,100 | $110,430 | $63,340 | $80,790 | $133,090 | $165,580 | $50.05 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $140,810 | 1,240 |
| Maryland | $130,920 | 960 |
| Delaware | $127,640 | 50 |
| California | $127,550 | 2,760 |
| Oregon | $127,360 | 90 |
| New York | $121,980 | 750 |
| Colorado | $121,430 | 540 |
| Alaska | $120,540 | 70 |
| Texas | $116,170 | 1,730 |
| Wyoming | $114,370 | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $111,030 | 1,060 |
| South Carolina | $110,730 | 440 |
| Alabama | $110,150 | 660 |
| Tennessee | $108,670 | 550 |
| Arizona | $108,260 | 380 |
| Minnesota | $106,430 | 180 |
| Virginia | $106,290 | 620 |
| Ohio | $106,060 | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $105,980 | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $105,840 | 70 |
| Kentucky | $105,090 | 340 |
| Connecticut | $104,390 | 400 |
| Florida | $104,040 | 680 |
| Idaho | $101,750 | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $101,100 | 230 |
| Louisiana | $100,990 | 80 |
| Montana | $100,600 | 180 |
| Arkansas | $100,330 | 110 |
| New Jersey | $100,240 | 290 |
| Missouri | $99,160 | 270 |
| Indiana | $98,290 | 470 |
| West Virginia | $97,960 | 50 |
| Nevada | $97,580 | 110 |
| Georgia | $97,380 | 550 |
| Kansas | $97,200 | 260 |
| Michigan | $96,660 | 1,030 |
| Wisconsin | $96,650 | 320 |
| North Carolina | $95,640 | 770 |
| Vermont | $93,210 | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $92,180 | 40 |
| Mississippi | $90,700 | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,160 | 780 |
| Maine | $89,140 | 110 |
| Utah | $85,720 | 490 |
| Nebraska | $84,540 | 140 |
| Iowa | $76,640 | 310 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $151,260 | 480 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $147,080 | 440 |
| Boulder, CO | $141,320 | 100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $140,810 | 1,100 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $140,180 | 70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $137,650 | 380 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $136,300 | 240 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $135,500 | 70 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $135,400 | 760 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $134,560 | 420 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $133,850 | 80 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $132,490 | 40 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $130,760 | 210 |
| Decatur, AL | $130,550 | 50 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $130,280 | 160 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $127,140 | 80 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $126,350 | 670 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $125,580 | 40 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $124,990 | 270 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $124,860 | 120 |
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