The average salary for a materials scientist in the United States is around $90,805 per year.
Avg Salary
Materials scientists earn an average yearly salary of $90,805.
Wages typically start from $54,854 and go up to $150,318.
49% above national average Updated in 2023
Materials scientist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level materials scientist earnings begin at:
$72.27 per hour
$150,318 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level materials scientist earnings begin at:
$56.92 per hour
$118,391 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level materials scientist earnings begin at:
$43.66 per hour
$90,805 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level materials scientist earnings begin at:
$33.48 per hour
$69,647 per year
10th percentile
Starting level materials scientist earnings begin at:
$26.37 per hour
$54,854 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Materials scientist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $99,640 |
| Michigan | $99,610 |
| New Jersey | $99,360 |
| North Carolina | $99,340 |
| West Virginia | $97,110 |
| Nebraska | $94,930 |
| Ohio | $94,930 |
| Florida | $93,390 |
| Kentucky | $91,820 |
| Missouri | $86,610 |
| Virginia | $85,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,870 |
| Georgia | $82,680 |
| Idaho | $82,380 |
| Iowa | $82,350 |
| Wisconsin | $79,740 |
| Tennessee | $79,510 |
| South Carolina | $78,520 |
| Alabama | $76,720 |
| Arizona | $74,940 |
| Maine | $68,060 |
| Texas | $58,020 |
| New Hampshire | $167,050 |
| New Mexico | $137,240 |
| Connecticut | $130,400 |
| Colorado | $128,100 |
| Delaware | $127,110 |
| New York | $124,200 |
| Nevada | $116,090 |
| Louisiana | $113,540 |
| Illinois | $105,630 |
| Indiana | $105,410 |
| Maryland | $104,100 |
| Utah | $102,720 |
| Oregon | $101,920 |
| Washington | $101,920 |
| Minnesota | $101,900 |
| California | $100,260 |
How do materials scientist salaries compare to similar careers?
Materials scientists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than pharmacists but more than geologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pharmacist salary | $107K |
| Statistician salary | $101K |
| Geographer salary | $104K |
| Geneticist salary | $96K |
| Atmospheric scientist salary | $90K |
| Materials scientist salary | $91K |
| Industrial ecologist salary | $90K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $85K |
| Sociologist salary | $86K |
| Geologist salary | $84K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)