Average Materials Scientists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Materials Scientists is $117,790 per year. The middle 50% earn between $89,990 and $150,550, with 8,470 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 31 states and 37 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Materials Scientists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $66,820
- 25th
- $89,990
- Median
- $117,790
- 75th
- $150,550
- 90th
- $197,290
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two materials scientists at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for materials scientists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +4.9%
- 400 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 600
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for materials scientists.
Where Materials Scientists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where materials scientists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $177,030, about 50.3% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $231,920.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $177,030 | 1,030 |
| Oregon | $150,550 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $137,700 | 70 |
| District of Columbia | $137,600 | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $132,600 | 890 |
| Minnesota | $132,160 | 290 |
| New York | $131,740 | 530 |
| Indiana | $130,540 | 320 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $231,920 | 180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $231,710 | 380 |
| Worcester, MA | $151,070 | 80 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $150,550 | 90 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $149,980 | 200 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $137,520 | 50 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $133,340 | 460 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $132,650 | 150 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see materials scientists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Materials Scientists rose from $96,810 to $117,790, a gain of +21.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $96,810 would need to be worth $121,911 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $117,790 is −$4,121 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -3.4% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 21.7% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +21.7%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -3.4%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Materials Scientists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $117,790
- 2024
- $104,160
- 2023
- $106,160
- 2022
- $104,380
- 2021
- $100,090
- 2020
- $99,460
- 2019
- $96,810
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Physical Scientists, All Other
- $122,570
- Astronomers
- $128,820
- Atmospheric And Space Scientists
- $99,070
- Hydrologists
- $96,600
- Chemists
- $91,240
- Physicists
- $172,250
Common salary questions for Materials Scientists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Materials Scientists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.