Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $147,490/year ($70.91/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $87K at the entry level to $170K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $131,032 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 33.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $147K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
New York-Newark-Jersey City sits well above the national pay line for materials engineers, local pay runs about 31% higher than the U.S. median of $113K. Rent runs $2,910/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $135K | $135K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $106K | $111K |
| Utica-Rome | $72K | $77K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $111K | $103K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $87K. Mid-career wages sit at $147K. Top earners bring in $170K or more, a $82K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $147K, rent takes 33.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $87K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,230/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Local pay is 31% above the national median — $147K here vs. $113K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 13% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for materials engineers?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $147K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s +31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $131K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $147,490 a year, that works out to about $71 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $87,160, and experienced materials engineers can clear $169,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $147K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,647/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 33.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a materials engineers salary go in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median materials engineers salary is worth about $131,032 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.