Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Georgia is $100,840/year ($48.48/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $72K at the entry level to $160K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.89), which stretches that salary to about $109,740 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,434/month, or 22.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Georgia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $101K actually covers in Georgia, month by month
About materials engineers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Georgia
Pay for materials engineers in Georgia runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,434/month, 23.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Georgia can be a reasonable trade-off for materials engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Georgia
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $72K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $160K or more, a $88K spread from bottom to top.
Materials Engineers salary by metro in Georgia
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $101K | +0% | 530 |
Compare to other states
Track materials engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Georgia numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Georgia?
Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 23.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,434/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Georgia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $72K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,619/month. At HUD’s $1,434/month FMR, rent would take 31% 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 Georgia?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $101K here vs. $113K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Georgia compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Georgia pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $110K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Georgia?
The median is $100,840 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $71,830, and experienced materials engineers can clear $159,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Georgia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,187/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,434/month, which eats 23.2% 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 Georgia?
Georgia has a Regional Price Parity of 91.89 (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 $109,740 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.