Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI is $100,070/year ($48.11/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $143K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.3), that's roughly $99,771 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,411/month, or 22.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $100K get you in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Detroit-Warren-Dearborn’s Regional Price Parity (100.3). 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Pay for materials engineers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,411/month, 22.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.3) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn can be a reasonable trade-off for materials engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $85K | $89K |
| Ann Arbor | $106K | $105K |
| Cincinnati | $128K | $134K |
| Cleveland | $106K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $143K or more, a $78K 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 22.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,411/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,895/month. At HUD’s $1,411/month FMR, rent would take 36% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $100K here vs. $113K nationally.
How does Detroit-Warren-Dearborn compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The median is $100,070 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,910, and experienced materials engineers can clear $142,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,211/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,411/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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn has a Regional Price Parity of 100.3 (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 $99,771 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.