Salary guide, May 2025
Materials Engineer pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Materials Engineers in the United States was $112,860 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $88,080 and $142,720.
Also searched as: Materials Scientist, Polymer Engineer. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2131 Materials Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $72,300 | $88,080 | $112,860 | $142,720 | $175,720 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $34.76 | $42.35 | $54.26 | $68.61 | $84.48 |
BLS estimated 22,770 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2131 Materials Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $96,740 | $75,960 to $126,280 | 130 | 0.32 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $100,850 | $81,910 to $123,550 | 110 | 0.54 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $138,430 | $118,830 to $138,430 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,310 | $86,400 to $128,040 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $147,490 | $104,820 to $162,770 | 330 | 0.23 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $147,490 | $104,820 to $162,770 | 330 | 0.23 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $117,700 | $100,310 to $161,940 | 440 | 0.74 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $99,590 | $76,220 to $136,520 | 250 | 0.38 |
Rank every metro for Materials Engineer
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$132,390
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$130,090
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$128,860
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$127,190
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$125,190
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$118,460
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$114,970
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$114,100
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$114,100
- Chemical Manufacturing$113,070
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$110,620
- Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)$108,930
- Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing$107,480
- Manufacturing$107,440
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$106,510
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 11,400 | $86,640 | $107,440 | $137,130 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 4,130 | $96,960 | $125,190 | $156,130 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 2,920 | $107,440 | $132,390 | $163,250 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 1,510 | $75,910 | $95,830 | $116,460 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 1,380 | $94,970 | $114,970 | $143,860 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 860 | $85,030 | $105,000 | $133,720 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 780 | $76,050 | $95,060 | $125,820 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 700 | $94,920 | $110,620 | $138,490 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 610 | $81,640 | $101,290 | $123,840 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 590 | $76,250 | $100,080 | $132,890 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 570 | $103,530 | $127,190 | $164,370 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 560 | $83,310 | $103,650 | $130,380 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 550 | $87,610 | $108,930 | $133,720 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 510 | $75,480 | $86,370 | $106,920 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 460 | $73,750 | $82,720 | $112,140 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 440 | $95,300 | $113,070 | $139,320 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 430 | $85,990 | $99,860 | $134,110 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 410 | $82,690 | $103,650 | $130,060 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 360 | $85,990 | $98,940 | $135,190 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 350 | $82,190 | $103,040 | $129,570 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 340 | $79,520 | $96,820 | $115,900 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 340 | $85,950 | $106,510 | $131,460 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 270 | $86,740 | $103,190 | $126,930 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 250 | $92,940 | $114,100 | $133,630 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 250 | $92,940 | $114,100 | $133,630 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 240 | $93,950 | $118,460 | $147,760 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 210 | $78,910 | $94,990 | $108,230 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 170 | $79,270 | $97,610 | $99,640 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 170 | $71,400 | $90,210 | $112,280 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 150 | $83,310 | $107,480 | $142,940 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 140 | $97,730 | $102,570 | $123,030 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 130 | $92,160 | $98,090 | $125,170 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 130 | $87,770 | $99,860 | $122,670 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 130 | $65,140 | $76,130 | $111,600 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 110 | $72,140 | $105,140 | $135,670 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 110 | $72,140 | $105,140 | $135,670 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 110 | $81,740 | $98,390 | $105,000 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 110 | $91,640 | $128,860 | $138,660 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 110 | $65,760 | $67,090 | $84,640 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 100 | $73,080 | $83,090 | $111,380 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 90 | $98,090 | $98,090 | $105,850 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 80 | $69,990 | $79,520 | $99,600 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 60 | $104,110 | $130,090 | $137,190 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 60 | $95,570 | $101,230 | $116,960 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 50 | $78,060 | $91,550 | $113,070 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 50 | $73,860 | $78,890 | $111,040 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 50 | $66,930 | $83,560 | $89,810 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 50 | $66,930 | $75,690 | $88,120 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 40 | $49,050 | $49,120 | $102,170 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 40 | $83,500 | $94,580 | $186,230 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 40 | $59,720 | $76,640 | $92,470 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 30 | $83,640 | $105,050 | $135,990 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Materials Engineer, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $85,820 | $108,310 | $138,370 |
| May 2025 | $88,080 | $112,860 | $142,720 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about working with production and customers?
Materials work only matters if the floor uses it. We ask about changes they got through operators, quality and purchasing, and about customer complaints they answered in writing. We look for people who can explain a technical conclusion to a plant manager in two sentences.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Materials Engineer?
The median annual wage for Materials Engineers in the United States was $112,860 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $88,080 and $142,720. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $72,300. 90% earned less than $175,720.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Materials Engineer at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 22,770 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Materials Engineers are critical to the selection, analysis, and qualification of inputs. They are classified under SOC 17-2131. As a national benchmark, the BLS data represents the broad spectrum of materials engineering roles across various sectors. The national median for this occupation is $112,860, reflecting an increase of $4,550 from the May 2024 median of $108,310.
Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that while this median provides a baseline, specialized failure analysis or supplier-facing responsibilities often command rates that trend above this level.
The middle-band width for this occupation is $54,640, ranging from the P25 of $88,080 to the P75 of $142,720. This indicates a consistent market baseline for experience, though the spread between the P10 of $72,300 and the P90 of $175,720 suggests that advanced, proprietary materials experience or specialized compliance knowledge impacts the upper end of the pay scale. It is essential for hiring managers to remember that this data is limited to annual salary and excludes typical engineering sign-on bonuses or relocation support.
Regional data in high-concentration hubs provides deeper insights. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area lists a median of $125,200, compared to the prior $119,580. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area reports a median of $111,480, which is identical to the prior $108,310 in the available data. With a location quotient of 2.58 in the Boston area compared to 1.37 in Los Angeles, there is a distinctly different concentration of this occupation in each metro. These figures allow for better calibration of offers in competitive industrial regions.
Sectoral national benchmarks further refine salary expectations. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing reflects a median of $132,390, while Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing sits at $130,090. Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing reports a median of $128,860. These sectoral figures are all higher than the overall national median of $112,860, reinforcing that highly technical manufacturing sectors prioritize material-specific expertise at a premium. These sectoral medians provide a guide for what hiring managers must offer to attract talent with specific industry-critical material validation experience.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the Boston location quotient so much higher than in other regions?
A location quotient of 2.58 in Boston indicates that Materials Engineers are employed there at a rate more than twice the national average. This high concentration points to the region's strong industry presence in areas that require deep material engineering expertise.
How should I adjust the offer if the candidate has specific expertise in supplier material qualification?
The BLS data does not capture specialized skills like supplier qualification; it tracks general materials engineering roles. You should use the P75 to P90 range as your guide for candidates possessing this depth of experience.
Are these figures for salary or total compensation?
These figures represent base salary only. Factors like annual bonuses, equity, or specialized technical allowances are excluded from this data.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4