Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN is $85,130/year ($40.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $58K at the entry level to $121K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.43), which stretches that salary to about $91,116 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,242/month, or 22.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $85K get you in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette-West Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (93.43). 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Pay for materials engineers in Lafayette-West Lafayette runs about 25% below the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,242/month, 22.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.43 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Lafayette-West Lafayette 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $127K | $133K |
| Fort Wayne | $100K | $108K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $100K | $100K |
| Cincinnati | $128K | $134K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $58K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $121K or more, a $63K 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Yes — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 22.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,242/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $58K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,482/month. At HUD’s $1,242/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Local pay runs 25% below the national median — $85K here vs. $113K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lafayette-West Lafayette compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Lafayette-West Lafayette pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.43), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median is $85,130 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,040, and experienced materials engineers can clear $120,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,473/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,242/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Lafayette-West Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 93.43 (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 $91,116 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.