Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Lancaster, PA is $79,270/year ($38.11/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $119K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.26), that's roughly $80,674 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,526/month, or 28.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Lancaster?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lancaster’s Regional Price Parity (98.26). 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 Lancaster
Pay for materials engineers in Lancaster runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $113K. Rent runs $1,526/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.26) 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 Lancaster, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $125K | $122K |
| Pittsburgh | $93K | $98K |
| Reading | $99K | $102K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $98K | $100K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lancaster, PA
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $119K or more, a $52K 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 Lancaster numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lancaster?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 29.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,526/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Lancaster?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,027/month. At HUD’s $1,526/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Lancaster?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $79K here vs. $113K nationally.
How does Lancaster compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Lancaster pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.26), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Lancaster, PA?
The median is $79,270 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,120, and experienced materials engineers can clear $119,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Lancaster?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,143/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,526/month, which eats 29.7% 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 Lancaster?
Lancaster has a Regional Price Parity of 98.26 (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 $80,674 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.