What does a Materials Engineers salary really buy you in Texas?
Texas is 2.5% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Texas's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 97.5, meaning prices are 2.5% lower the national average. A Materials Engineers earning $116,170 in Texas has the equivalent purchasing power of $119,148 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Texas's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $61,830 | $63,415 | +$1,585 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $88,090 | $90,348 | +$2,258 |
| Median (P50) | $116,170 | $119,148 | +$2,978 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $159,840 | $163,938 | +$4,098 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $190,560 | $195,446 | +$4,886 |
Texas's cost of living is close to the national average, so $116,170 keeps most of its value at $119,148 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Materials Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Texas ranks #7 out of 46 states for Materials Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
A Materials Engineers in Texas earns a median salary of $116,170 per year. After adjusting for Texas's cost of living (RPP=97.5), the real purchasing power is $119,148 — a +2.6% difference.
Texas's cost of living is 2.5% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Texas is 97.5 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Materials Engineers in Texas: $116,170 x (100 / 97.5) = $119,148. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Materials Engineers in Texas enjoys 2.6% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.