Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO is $125,750/year ($60.46/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $176K for experienced workers.
So what does $126K get you in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
About materials engineers
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near Denver-Aurora-Centennial, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boulder | $152K | , |
| 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, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $126K. Top earners bring in $176K or more, a $122K 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Yes — at the median salary of $126K, rent takes 26.9% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,210/month.
Is materials engineer a high-paying job in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $126K here vs. $113K nationally.
How does Denver-Aurora-Centennial compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays $126K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s +11%.
How much do materials engineers make in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The median is $125,750 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,500, and experienced materials engineers can clear $175,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $126K enough to live in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,598/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 26.9% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial 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 $125,750 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.