Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 19-2032

Materials Scientists

The published band from $66,820 to $197,290 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Physicists.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Materials Scientists: Physicists ($172K) , Geographers ($102K) , Economists ($125K) , Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($103K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Materials Scientists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-2032 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information tha…
  2. 2. Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical…
  3. 3. Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures
  4. 4. Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of produc…
  5. 5. Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers
  6. 6. Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special character…
  7. 7. Recommend materials for reliable performance in various environments
  8. 8. Supervise and monitor production processes to ensure efficient use of equipment, timely changes to specifications, and project completion…
  9. 9. Research methods of processing, forming, and firing materials to develop such products as ceramic dental fillings, unbreakable dinner pla…
  10. 10. Perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys…
  11. 11. Devise testing methods to evaluate the effects of various conditions on particular materials
  12. 12. Test individual parts and products to ensure that manufacturer and governmental quality and safety standards are met

O*NET skills and knowledge for Materials Scientists

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-2032 - entity-keyed; 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. Critical Thinking 4.0
  5. 5. Complex Problem Solving 4.0
  6. 6. Writing 3.9
  7. 7. Speaking 3.8
  8. 8. Active Learning 3.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Engineering and Technology 4.8
  2. 2. Chemistry 4.6
  3. 3. Physics 4.4
  4. 4. Mathematics 4.3
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 3.8
  6. 6. Production and Processing 3.7
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$66,820 to $197,290
median $117,790 · ~3.0× spread
$118K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
600
Annual openings
8,470
Estimated US jobs
Physicists
Highest-pay peer · $172K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Materials Scientists

1. Oregon $150,550
2. Massachusetts $132,600
3. California $177,030
4. Washington $127,250
5. Wisconsin $137,700
6. District of Columbia $137,600
7. Minnesota $132,160
8. Connecticut $130,320
9. New York $131,740
10. Indiana $130,540

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Economists $124,720
  2. 2. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $103,410
  3. 3. Physicists $172,250
  4. 4. Sociologists $106,030
  5. 5. Geographers $102,040
  6. 6. Biochemists and Biophysicists $127,410

The OEWS band for Materials Scientists runs from $66,820 (10th) to $197,290 (90th), about 3.0× wide, with median $117,790. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 600 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: Oregon at $150,550. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Physicists at $172,250. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Where Materials Scientists sits in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Among 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations with a published OEWS median, Materials Scientists is pay-rank #8, 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.

Dive into Materials Scientists in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in Oregon

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in Massachusetts

Second-highest state pay

Physicists

Highest-pay peer · $172K

Geographers

Lower-pay peer · $102K

Compare Side-by-Side

Head-to-head with another role
Compare Materials Scientists 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 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles sit near Materials Scientists at the top of the pay table? ▼
Materials Scientists is pay-rank #8 of 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Physical Scientists, All Other ($123K), Economists ($125K), Psychologists, All Other ($111K), Nuclear Technicians ($110K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do materials scientists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Materials Scientists. Leading ones include: Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information tha…; Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical…; 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 produc…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for materials scientists? ▼
For SOC 19-2032, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (4.0), Science (4.0), Critical Thinking (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 Scientists? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $66,820 and the 90th at $197,290 for Materials Scientists (3.0× spread). The national median is $117,790. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Materials Scientists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Materials Scientists is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Materials Scientists? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Materials Scientists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Materials Scientists? ▼
Oregon ($150,550), Massachusetts ($132,600), California ($177,030) 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 Scientists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-2032. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Materials Scientists. 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