Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $131,080/year ($63.02/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $79K at the entry level to $171K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $129,834 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,787/month, or 22.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $131K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About materials engineers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Charleston-North Charleston sits well above the national pay line for materials engineers, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,787/month, 22.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Charleston-North Charleston offers a genuinely strong financial position for materials engineerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $107K | $114K |
| Columbia | $121K | $130K |
| Spartanburg | $97K | $106K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $104K | $106K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $79K. Mid-career wages sit at $131K. Top earners bring in $171K or more, a $92K 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 with published data
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 Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
Yes — at the median salary of $131K, rent takes 22.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $79K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,732/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 38% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is materials engineer a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $131K here vs. $113K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $131K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $130K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $131,080 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,860, and experienced materials engineers can clear $170,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $131K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,799/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 22.9% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median materials engineers salary is worth about $129,834 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.