Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Michigan is $94,050/year ($45.22/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $140K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.89), which stretches that salary to about $100,170 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,272/month, or 21.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Michigan. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $94K actually covers in Michigan, month by month
About materials engineers
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What this looks like in Michigan
Pay for materials engineers in Michigan runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,272/month, 21.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Michigan can be a reasonable trade-off for materials engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Michigan
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $94K. Top earners bring in $140K or more, a $77K spread from bottom to top.
Materials Engineers salary by metro in Michigan
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | $106K | +13% | 50 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $100K | +6% | 460 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $85K | -10% | 100 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Michigan?
Yes — at the median salary of $94K, rent takes 21.6% 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 Michigan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,142/month. At HUD’s $1,272/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 Michigan?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $94K here vs. $113K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Michigan compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Michigan pays $94K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Michigan?
The median is $94,050 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,640, and experienced materials engineers can clear $139,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $94K enough to live in Michigan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,879/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 21.6% 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 Michigan?
Michigan has a Regional Price Parity of 93.89 (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 $100,170 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.