Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN is $100,420/year ($48.28/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $76K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.07), which stretches that salary to about $107,897 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,272/month, or 20% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $100K get you in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Louisville/Jefferson County’s Regional Price Parity (93.07). 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 Louisville/Jefferson County
Pay for materials engineers in Louisville/Jefferson County runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,272/month, 20.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.07 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Louisville/Jefferson County 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $128K | $134K |
| Cleveland | $106K | $113K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $137K | $148K |
| Toledo | $111K | $121K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $76K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $49K 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 Louisville/Jefferson County numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 20.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Louisville/Jefferson County?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $76K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,531/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is materials engineer a high-paying job in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $100K here vs. $113K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisville/Jefferson County compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Louisville/Jefferson County pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $108K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?
The median is $100,420 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $75,510, and experienced materials engineers can clear $124,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Louisville/Jefferson County?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,251/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 20.3% 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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
Louisville/Jefferson County has a Regional Price Parity of 93.07 (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 $107,897 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.