Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Boulder, CO is $151,940/year ($73.05/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $100K at the entry level to $200K for experienced workers.
So what does $152K get you in Boulder?
About materials engineers
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $126K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $95K | , |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $125K | $121K |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $77K | $77K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $100K. Mid-career wages sit at $152K. Top earners bring in $200K or more, a $100K spread from bottom to top.
Materials Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Materials Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $166K | +47% | 450 |
| Maryland | $141K | +25% | 740 |
| Washington | $140K | +24% | 1,000 |
| Delaware | $131K | +16% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $129K | +14% | 90 |
| California | $128K | +14% | 3,020 |
| Illinois | $127K | +12% | 290 |
| New York | $126K | +12% | 590 |
| Colorado | $124K | +10% | 810 |
| Alaska | $123K | +9% | 70 |
| Oregon | $123K | +9% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $122K | +8% | 420 |
| South Carolina | $122K | +8% | 600 |
| Florida | $119K | +5% | 690 |
| Texas | $118K | +4% | 1,440 |
| Virginia | $117K | +3% | 620 |
| Massachusetts | $114K | +1% | 1,360 |
| Wyoming | $111K | -2% | 40 |
| Alabama | $108K | -5% | 650 |
| New Jersey | $107K | -5% | 260 |
| Arizona | $107K | -5% | 580 |
| Ohio | $107K | -6% | 1,790 |
| Minnesota | $106K | -6% | 150 |
| Idaho | $106K | -6% | 90 |
| North Carolina | $104K | -8% | 640 |
| Arkansas | $104K | -8% | 90 |
| New Hampshire | $101K | -10% | 70 |
| Indiana | $101K | -10% | 570 |
| Georgia | $101K | -11% | 700 |
| Kentucky | $101K | -11% | 280 |
| Kansas | $100K | -11% | 270 |
| Oklahoma | $100K | -11% | 240 |
| Nevada | $99K | -12% | 100 |
| Missouri | $99K | -12% | 300 |
| Nebraska | $98K | -13% | 160 |
| Pennsylvania | $98K | -13% | 720 |
| Maine | $97K | -14% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $96K | -15% | 280 |
| Michigan | $94K | -17% | 810 |
| Tennessee | $92K | -19% | 330 |
| Utah | $88K | -22% | 460 |
| Rhode Island | $87K | -23% | 50 |
| Mississippi | $79K | -30% | 100 |
| Montana | $76K | -33% | 90 |
| Iowa | $64K | -43% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track materials engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Boulder numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?
Yes — at the median salary of $152K, rent takes 22.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $100K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,993/month.
Is materials engineer a high-paying job in Boulder?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $152K here vs. $113K nationally.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Boulder pays $152K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s +35%.
How much do materials engineers make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $151,940 a year, that works out to about $73 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $99,880, and experienced materials engineers can clear $200,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $152K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,993/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 22.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a materials engineers salary go in Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median materials engineers salary is worth about $151,940 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do materials engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.