Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is $117,700/year ($56.59/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $77K at the entry level to $184K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $114,172 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,931/month, or 24.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $118K get you in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). 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
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What this looks like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Materials engineers pay in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington tracks closely to the national median, $118K locally vs. $113K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,931/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $123K | $125K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $97K | $99K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $83K | $87K |
| Oklahoma City | $96K | $106K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $77K. Mid-career wages sit at $118K. Top earners bring in $184K or more, a $107K 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Yes — at the median salary of $118K, rent takes 25.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $77K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,600/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $118K locally vs. $113K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $118K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $114K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $117,700 a year, that works out to about $57 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $76,660, and experienced materials engineers can clear $183,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $118K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,599/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 25.4% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (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 $114,172 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.