Materials Scientists Salary in the US
A materials scientists earns a national median of $117,790 a year (mean $126,180) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #82 of 825.
How much does a materials scientists earn in the US?
A materials scientists in the United States earns a median of $117,790 a year (mean $126,180), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 131% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 8,470 people work in this occupation (SOC 19-2032), ranked #82 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$117,790
per year
Mean
$126,180
per year
Employment
8,470
US workers
National rank
#82
of 825 by median
What a materials scientists earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a materials scientists (SOC 19-2032) earns a median annual wage of $117,790 and a mean (average) of $126,180. The median is the midpoint — half of materials scientists earn more and half earn less — and is 131% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a materials scientists in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for materials scientists is $117,790, and the mean (average) is $126,180. The median is the midpoint — half of materials scientists earn more and half earn less.
- How does materials scientists pay compare to the US average?
- At $117,790, a materials scientists earns 131% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many materials scientists are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 8,470 materials scientists employed nationally (SOC 19-2032), across all industries.
- Where does this materials scientists salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 19-2032. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Engineers, All Other$122,930
- Nuclear Power Reactor Operators$122,890
- Physical Scientists, All Other$122,570
- Electrical Engineers$120,630
- Data Scientists$120,230
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860
- Financial Risk Specialists$117,330
- Computer Occupations, All Other$116,580
- Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other$115,210
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors$115,160
- Construction Managers$114,990
- Art Directors$114,850
Find materials scientists jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which materials scientists roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 19-2032 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries