How does Materials Engineers salary grow from entry-level to senior? National salary progression based on 44 states with BLS data.
125% career growth potentialData: BLS OEWS 2024 • National averages across 44 states • Updated 2026-04-06
The salary range for Materials Engineers spans from $66,180 at entry-level to $149,154 at senior level — a difference of $82,974 per year.
Senior Materials Engineerss earn $82,974 more per year than entry-level professionals.
Complete percentile breakdown showing how Materials Engineers salary increases with experience, from entry-level (10th percentile) to senior (90th percentile).
| Experience Level | Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-Level | P10 | $66,180 | $5,515 | $31.82 |
| Early Career | P25 | $78,965 | $6,580 | $37.96 |
| Mid-Career | Median | $99,580 | $8,298 | $47.88 |
| Experienced | P75 | $123,710 | $10,309 | $59.48 |
| Senior / Expert | P90 | $149,154 | $12,430 | $71.71 |
Materials Engineers shows strong salary progression over a career. Entry-level professionals start around $66,180, while senior-level professionals earn $149,154 — a 125% increase. The biggest salary jump typically occurs between mid-career ($99,580) and experienced level ($123,710), suggesting that specialization and leadership responsibilities are the key drivers of higher pay.
Which states pay the highest senior-level salaries for Materials Engineers? Top 10 states ranked by 90th percentile (senior) pay.
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Entry-level Materials Engineerss (10th percentile) earn approximately $66,180 per year, or $5,515 per month. Early-career professionals (25th percentile) earn around $78,965. Based on 2024 BLS OEWS data across all U.S. states.
Senior Materials Engineerss (90th percentile) earn approximately $149,154 per year. Experienced professionals (75th percentile) earn around $123,710. This represents a career premium of 125% over entry-level pay.
The career salary growth potential for Materials Engineerss is 125%. Entry-level professionals start at $66,180, while senior-level can earn up to $149,154 — a difference of $82,974 per year.
The highest-paying state for senior Materials Engineerss is Washington, where 90th-percentile salaries reach $207,610 per year. See the full state-by-state comparison above.
We use BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024 data. The 10th percentile (P10) approximates entry-level pay — the salary that 90% of workers earn more than. The 90th percentile (P90) approximates senior/expert-level pay — only 10% of workers earn above this threshold. National averages are computed across all reporting U.S. states.
Salary percentile data is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. National averages are computed across 44 states and the District of Columbia. P10 approximates entry-level compensation; P90 approximates senior/expert-level compensation. Actual salaries vary based on location, employer, experience, education, and certifications.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Source: BLS OEWS