Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $117,000/year ($56.25/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $161K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $119,914 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,711/month, or 22.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $117K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 Durham-Chapel Hill
Materials engineers pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $117K locally vs. $113K nationwide, a 4% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,711/month, 24% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $104K | $106K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $98K | $106K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $105K | $108K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $101K | $101K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $117K. Top earners bring in $161K or more, a $79K 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 Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes — at the median salary of $117K, rent takes 24% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,918/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $117K locally vs. $113K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $117K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $120K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $117,000 a year, that works out to about $56 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,960, and experienced materials engineers can clear $160,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $117K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,119/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 24% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median materials engineers salary is worth about $119,914 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.