Materials Engineers
Materials Engineers (SOC 17-2131) earn a median $112,860 a year ($54.26 an hour) in the United States, with 22,770 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Mexico.
What materials engineers do
Materials engineers evaluate materials and develop the machinery and processes used to make them for products that must meet demanding design and performance specifications. They work with metals and alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and composites, and they look for new uses for materials already known. Typical tasks include analyzing failure data and laboratory test results to find out why a product or part broke, designing and directing the testing and control of processing procedures, and monitoring how materials perform and deteriorate over time. They also run or supervise tests on raw materials and finished goods to confirm quality. The occupation differs from chemical engineers, who design large-scale chemical production processes, and from materials scientists, who do more basic research into the structure and properties of materials. The category includes metallurgists, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers. They also decide how materials should be fabricated and joined and guide technical staff in developing materials for specific products. Some modify the properties of metal alloys through thermal and mechanical treatments.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Ceramic Engineer, Corrosion Engineer, Automotive Sheet Metal Engineer, Ceramic Design Engineer, Ceramic Research Engineer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $34.76 | $42.35 | $54.26 | $68.61 | $84.48 | $57.81 | 22,770 |
| Annual | $72,300 | $88,080 | $112,860 | $142,720 | $175,720 | $120,250 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where materials engineers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $60.89 | $77.09 | $79.61 | $95.15 | $98.27 | $83.17 | 450 | 0.52 | 3.56 |
| Annual | $126,640 | $160,340 | $165,600 | $197,900 | $204,400 | $173,000 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $38.21 | $52.87 | $67.62 | $83.52 | $93.84 | $67.68 | 740 | 0.27 | 1.82 |
| Annual | $79,470 | $109,970 | $140,640 | $173,720 | $195,190 | $140,770 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $44.50 | $59.11 | $67.23 | $84.76 | $95.79 | $71.67 | 1,000 | 0.28 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $92,570 | $122,960 | $139,840 | $176,290 | $199,250 | $149,070 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $48.37 | $48.55 | $63.14 | $79.79 | $87.69 | $65.82 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $100,620 | $100,980 | $131,320 | $165,960 | $182,400 | $136,900 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $38.87 | $44.46 | $61.86 | $74.92 | $82.28 | $60.31 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $80,860 | $92,470 | $128,670 | $155,830 | $171,140 | $125,450 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $39.64 | $49.64 | $61.77 | $75.95 | $88.40 | $63.03 | 3,020 | 0.17 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $82,460 | $103,250 | $128,470 | $157,980 | $183,880 | $131,090 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $36.55 | $40.66 | $51.21 | $68.28 | $81.39 | $56.07 | 1,790 | 0.32 | 2.20 |
| Annual | $76,030 | $84,560 | $106,510 | $142,020 | $169,300 | $116,620 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $32.54 | $40.72 | $56.59 | $77.05 | $90.12 | $60.81 | 1,440 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $67,690 | $84,700 | $117,700 | $160,260 | $187,460 | $126,480 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $37.49 | $46.60 | $54.85 | $68.73 | $80.38 | $57.86 | 1,360 | 0.37 | 2.56 |
| Annual | $77,980 | $96,930 | $114,100 | $142,960 | $167,180 | $120,350 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $44.50 | $59.11 | $67.23 | $84.76 | $95.79 | $71.67 | 1,000 | 0.28 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $92,570 | $122,960 | $139,840 | $176,290 | $199,250 | $149,070 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $48.78 | $62.87 | $75.35 | $86.60 | $105.17 | $75.36 | 550 | 0.49 | 3.32 |
| Annual | $101,450 | $130,770 | $156,730 | $180,130 | $218,760 | $156,740 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $46.18 | $61.88 | $75.06 | $85.92 | $102.59 | $73.94 | 820 | 0.39 | 2.68 |
| Annual | $96,060 | $128,710 | $156,130 | $178,710 | $213,380 | $153,780 | ||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $48.02 | $53.12 | $73.05 | $79.92 | $96.30 | $68.98 | 210 | 1.11 | 7.58 |
| Annual | $99,880 | $110,490 | $151,940 | $166,230 | $200,310 | $143,470 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $41.91 | $50.39 | $70.91 | $78.25 | $81.54 | $65.90 | 330 | 0.03 | 0.23 |
| Annual | $87,160 | $104,820 | $147,490 | $162,770 | $169,600 | $137,070 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | $23.61 | $48.59 | $69.24 | $78.01 | $93.84 | $64.12 | 200 | 0.15 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $49,120 | $101,070 | $144,010 | $162,260 | $195,190 | $133,370 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $42.07 | $49.41 | $60.19 | $70.66 | $86.49 | $61.43 | 1,250 | 0.20 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $87,500 | $102,770 | $125,200 | $146,980 | $179,890 | $127,780 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $37.49 | $45.73 | $53.60 | $71.73 | $82.10 | $58.63 | 1,020 | 0.38 | 2.58 |
| Annual | $77,980 | $95,130 | $111,480 | $149,210 | $170,770 | $121,960 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $46.18 | $61.88 | $75.06 | $85.92 | $102.59 | $73.94 | 820 | 0.39 | 2.68 |
| Annual | $96,060 | $128,710 | $156,130 | $178,710 | $213,380 | $153,780 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $40.67 | $54.70 | $67.62 | $86.77 | $93.84 | $69.74 | 660 | 0.21 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $84,590 | $113,780 | $140,640 | $180,480 | $195,190 | $145,070 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $30.72 | $41.87 | $59.26 | $82.81 | $118.09 | $66.74 | 560 | 0.17 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $63,900 | $87,100 | $123,250 | $172,240 | $245,630 | $138,820 | ||||
Top industries employing materials engineers
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 13.3% of materials engineers nationally (3,020 jobs) at a median $105,090 a year ($50.52 an hour), followed by Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (12.8%) and Scientific Research and Development Services (11.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 3,020 | 13.3% | $105,090 | $50.52 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 2,920 | 12.8% | $132,390 | $63.65 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 2,530 | 11.1% | $132,070 | $63.50 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 1,740 | 7.6% | $126,510 | $60.82 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 1,300 | 5.7% | $145,830 | $70.11 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (22,770). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $98,300 for materials engineers in May 2021 and $112,860 in May 2025, with employment of 21,530 and 22,770.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $98,300 | $47.26 | 21,530 |
| May 2022 | $100,140 | $48.15 | 21,510 |
| May 2023 | $104,100 | $50.05 | 24,630 |
| May 2024 | $108,310 | $52.07 | 22,770 |
| May 2025 | $112,860 | $54.26 | 22,770 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
45 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico profile | $79.61 | $165,600 | $126,640 | $204,400 | 450 | 0.52 | 3.56 |
| 2 | Maryland profile | $67.62 | $140,640 | $79,470 | $195,190 | 740 | 0.27 | 1.82 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $67.23 | $139,840 | $92,570 | $199,250 | 1,000 | 0.28 | 1.92 |
| 4 | Delaware profile | $63.14 | $131,320 | $100,620 | $182,400 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.51 |
| 5 | Louisiana profile | $61.86 | $128,670 | $80,860 | $171,140 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| 6 | California profile | $61.77 | $128,470 | $82,460 | $183,880 | 3,020 | 0.17 | 1.13 |
| 7 | Illinois profile | $60.87 | $126,620 | $71,780 | $165,710 | 290 | 0.05 | 0.33 |
| 8 | New York profile | $60.53 | $125,900 | $73,920 | $168,120 | 590 | 0.06 | 0.42 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $59.63 | $124,030 | $64,710 | $180,500 | 810 | 0.28 | 1.92 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | $59.31 | $123,360 | $79,970 | $154,150 | 70 | 0.20 | 1.36 |
| 11 | Oregon profile | $59.06 | $122,850 | $79,040 | $162,600 | 120 | 0.06 | 0.43 |
| 12 | Connecticut profile | $58.80 | $122,300 | $88,330 | $155,440 | 420 | 0.25 | 1.68 |
| 13 | South Carolina profile | $58.47 | $121,610 | $75,550 | $158,940 | 600 | 0.26 | 1.77 |
| 14 | Florida profile | $57.11 | $118,780 | $73,370 | $166,490 | 690 | 0.07 | 0.47 |
| 15 | Texas profile | $56.59 | $117,700 | $67,690 | $187,460 | 1,440 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| 16 | Virginia profile | $56.12 | $116,720 | $77,490 | $170,210 | 620 | 0.15 | 1.03 |
| 17 | Massachusetts profile | $54.85 | $114,100 | $77,980 | $167,180 | 1,360 | 0.37 | 2.56 |
| 18 | Wyoming profile | $53.35 | $110,970 | $65,250 | $120,830 | 40 | 0.13 | 0.90 |
| 19 | Alabama profile | $51.72 | $107,580 | $69,260 | $168,580 | 650 | 0.31 | 2.11 |
| 20 | New Jersey profile | $51.41 | $106,920 | $82,120 | $170,140 | 260 | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $51.35 | $106,810 | $81,990 | $165,090 | 580 | 0.18 | 1.23 |
| 22 | Ohio profile | $51.21 | $106,510 | $76,030 | $169,300 | 1,790 | 0.32 | 2.20 |
| 23 | Minnesota profile | $51.07 | $106,220 | $84,760 | $175,320 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.34 |
| 24 | Idaho profile | $50.88 | $105,820 | $57,250 | $154,080 | 90 | 0.10 | 0.71 |
| 25 | North Carolina profile | $50.11 | $104,240 | $78,160 | $153,570 | 640 | 0.13 | 0.88 |
| 26 | Arkansas profile | $49.95 | $103,900 | $80,120 | $159,440 | 90 | 0.07 | 0.48 |
| 27 | New Hampshire profile | $48.70 | $101,290 | $73,660 | $159,180 | 70 | 0.10 | 0.68 |
| 28 | Indiana profile | $48.62 | $101,120 | $67,430 | $131,980 | 570 | 0.18 | 1.21 |
| 29 | Georgia profile | $48.48 | $100,840 | $71,830 | $159,560 | 700 | 0.14 | 0.98 |
| 30 | Kentucky profile | $48.38 | $100,620 | $84,610 | $132,800 | 280 | 0.14 | 0.94 |
| 31 | Kansas profile | $48.08 | $100,000 | $83,460 | $164,110 | 270 | 0.19 | 1.28 |
| 32 | Oklahoma profile | $48.05 | $99,950 | $54,990 | $150,640 | 240 | 0.14 | 0.97 |
| 33 | Nevada profile | $47.60 | $99,010 | $66,150 | $155,190 | 100 | 0.07 | 0.44 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $47.53 | $98,860 | $65,870 | $135,280 | 300 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| 35 | Nebraska profile | $47.24 | $98,270 | $57,030 | $135,400 | 160 | 0.16 | 1.06 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania profile | $47.13 | $98,030 | $62,790 | $173,530 | 720 | 0.12 | 0.81 |
| 37 | Maine profile | $46.69 | $97,110 | $72,130 | $138,440 | 100 | 0.16 | 1.08 |
| 38 | Wisconsin profile | $46.25 | $96,210 | $65,160 | $127,820 | 280 | 0.10 | 0.66 |
| 39 | Michigan profile | $45.22 | $94,050 | $62,640 | $139,690 | 810 | 0.18 | 1.25 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $44.20 | $91,940 | $63,760 | $149,300 | 330 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| 41 | Utah profile | $42.35 | $88,080 | $69,180 | $140,620 | 460 | 0.26 | 1.79 |
| 42 | Rhode Island profile | $41.91 | $87,180 | $78,270 | $140,450 | 50 | 0.10 | 0.66 |
| 43 | Mississippi profile | $37.84 | $78,700 | $62,000 | $150,890 | 100 | 0.09 | 0.59 |
| 44 | Montana profile | $36.56 | $76,030 | $59,860 | $104,480 | 90 | 0.18 | 1.25 |
| 45 | Iowa profile | $30.90 | $64,270 | $62,390 | $115,140 | 200 | 0.13 | 0.87 |
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-2131 Materials Engineers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-2131, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-2131.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.