Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Nebraska is $98,270/year ($47.24/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $57K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.05), which stretches that salary to about $109,128 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,113/month, or 17.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Nebraska. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $98K actually covers in Nebraska, month by month
About materials engineers
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What this looks like in Nebraska
Pay for materials engineers in Nebraska runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,113/month, 18.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.05 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Nebraska can be a reasonable trade-off for materials engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nebraska
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $57K. Mid-career wages sit at $98K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $78K spread from bottom to top.
Materials Engineers salary by metro in Nebraska
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $103K | +5% | 50 |
| Lincoln | $97K | -1% | 50 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Nebraska numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nebraska?
Yes — at the median salary of $98K, rent takes 18.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,113/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Nebraska?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $57K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,805/month. At HUD’s $1,113/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is materials engineer a high-paying job in Nebraska?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $98K here vs. $113K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Nebraska compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Nebraska pays $98K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.05), the purchasing-power equivalent is $109K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Nebraska?
The median is $98,270 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $57,030, and experienced materials engineers can clear $135,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $98K enough to live in Nebraska?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,076/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,113/month, which eats 18.3% 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 Nebraska?
Nebraska has a Regional Price Parity of 90.05 (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 $109,128 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.