Materials Scientists Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 8.5K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$117,790
Median hourly
$57
Average annual
$126,180
Typical range
$66,820–$197,290
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Materials Scientists is $117,790 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $57 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and synthetic or composite materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications.
Most earn between $66,820 and $197,290 a year. There are roughly 8.5K people employed as materials scientists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Materials Scientists.
- Hourly
- $56.63
- Daily
- $453
- Weekly
- $2,265
- Bi-weekly
- $4,530
- Monthly
- $9,816
- Annual
- $117,790
$117,790 a year is around the 50th percentile for Materials Scientistss. The median is $117,790.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$177,030
- 2Oregon$150,550
- 3Wisconsin$137,700
- 4District of Columbia$137,600
- 5Massachusetts$132,600
- 6Minnesota$132,160
- 7New York$131,740
- 8Indiana$130,540
- 9Connecticut$130,320
- 10Washington$127,250
- 11Utah$126,840
- 12Illinois$125,850
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$231,920
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$231,710
- 3Worcester, MA$151,070
- 4Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$150,550
- 5Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$149,980
- 6Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$137,520
- 7Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$133,340
- 8Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$132,650
- 9Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$132,600
- 10Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$132,160
- 11Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$129,050
- 12Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$127,490
Related job titles
Employers advertise Materials Scientists roles under these titles.
Related occupations
What a Materials Scientists does
- Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
- Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.
- Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
- Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications.
- Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.
- Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special characteristics.
- Recommend materials for reliable performance in various environments.
- Supervise and monitor production processes to ensure efficient use of equipment, timely changes to specifications, and project completion within time frame and budget.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Materials Scientists make?
- The median annual wage for Materials Scientists is $117,790 ($57 per hour). Pay ranges from about $66,820 at the 10th percentile to $197,290 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Materials Scientists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $126,180, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Materials Scientistss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $177,030.
- Is Materials Scientists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 8.5K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Materials Scientists do?
- Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.; Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.; Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures..