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The national median salary for Materials Engineers is $112,861 per year ($54.26/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $88,088 and $142,709 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $175,718 per year. There are approximately 22,770 materials engineers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
23K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
9% from new growth91% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
3K
$105,090
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
3K
$132,390
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
3K
$132,070
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
2K
$126,510
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
1K
$145,830
Wage range across top 5 industries: $105,090 to $145,830 (39% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$34.76
$72,301
P25
$42.35
$88,088
P50MEDIAN
$54.26
$112,861
P75
$68.61
$142,709
P90
$84.48
$175,718
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average materials engineers salary?
The national median salary for Materials Engineers is $112,861 per year ($54.26/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $88,088 and $142,709 annually.
How much do top-earning materials engineers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Materials Engineers is $175,718 per year ($84.48/hr). The 75th percentile is $142,709 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for materials engineers?
Entry-level Materials Engineers (10th percentile) earn approximately $72,301 per year ($34.76/hr). The 25th percentile is $88,088 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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