Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 17-2131

Materials Engineers

The published band from $72,300 to $175,720 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Nuclear Engineers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Materials Engineers: Nuclear Engineers ($134K) , Mechanical Engineers ($104K) , Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors ($115K) , Engineers, All Other ($123K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Materials Engineers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-2131 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions
  2. 2. Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures
  3. 3. Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration
  4. 4. Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality
  5. 5. Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives
  6. 6. Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments
  7. 7. Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials
  8. 8. Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices
  9. 9. Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resi…
  10. 10. Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists
  11. 11. Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and perfor…
  12. 12. Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary

Materials Engineers: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-2131 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Engineering and Technology. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 4.0
  3. 3. Science 4.0
  4. 4. Complex Problem Solving 4.0
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.9
  6. 6. Writing 3.8
  7. 7. Speaking 3.8
  8. 8. Mathematics 3.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Engineering and Technology 4.3
  2. 2. Chemistry 4.3
  3. 3. Physics 4.2
  4. 4. Production and Processing 4.1
  5. 5. Mathematics 4.1
  6. 6. English Language 3.9
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$72,300 to $175,720
median $112,860 · ~2.4× spread
$113K
National median
↑ +6%
Growth 2024-2034
1,500
Annual openings
22,770
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $134K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Materials Engineers

1. Washington $139,840
2. New Mexico $165,600
3. Delaware $131,320
4. California $128,470
5. Alaska $123,360
6. Louisiana $128,670
7. Illinois $126,620
8. Colorado $124,030
9. New York $125,900
10. Maryland $140,640

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Mechanical Engineers $104,110
  2. 2. Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors $115,160
  3. 3. Engineers, All Other $122,930
  4. 4. Nuclear Engineers $133,970
  5. 5. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $109,370
  6. 6. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $130,220

The OEWS band for Materials Engineers runs from $72,300 (10th) to $175,720 (90th), about 2.4× wide, with median $112,860. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +6% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $139,840. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Engineers at $133,970. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Materials Engineers pay-rank #10 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Among 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with a published OEWS median, Materials Engineers is pay-rank #10, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Materials Engineers is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Materials Engineers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-2131

Washington · top state for Materials Engineers

$140K published median

New Mexico · #2 state pay

$166K · behind Washington

Nuclear Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Materials Engineers · $134K

Mechanical Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Materials Engineers · $104K

Compare Materials Engineers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Materials Engineers with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles sit near Materials Engineers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Materials Engineers is pay-rank #10 of 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Marine Engineers and Naval Architects ($112K), Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors ($115K), Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers ($109K), Electrical Engineers ($121K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do materials engineers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Materials Engineers. Leading ones include: Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions; Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures; Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration; Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for materials engineers? ▼
For SOC 17-2131, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (4.0), Science (4.0), Complex Problem Solving (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Engineering and Technology, Chemistry, Physics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Materials Engineers? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $72,300 and the 90th at $175,720 for Materials Engineers (2.4× spread). The national median is $112,860. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Materials Engineers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Materials Engineers is +6%. Projected annual openings: about 1,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Materials Engineers? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Materials Engineers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Materials Engineers? ▼
Washington ($139,840), New Mexico ($165,600), Delaware ($131,320) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Materials Engineers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-2131. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Materials Engineers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics