Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $103,660/year ($49.84/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $87K at the entry level to $137K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $100,465 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 30.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $104K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). 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 Trenton-Princeton
Materials engineers pay in Trenton-Princeton tracks closely to the national median, $104K locally vs. $113K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,950/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials engineers in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $147K | $131K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $125K | $122K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $135K | $135K |
| Pittsburgh | $93K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $87K. Mid-career wages sit at $104K. Top earners bring in $137K or more, a $50K 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 Trenton-Princeton numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $104K, rent takes 30.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $87K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,222/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $104K locally vs. $113K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Trenton-Princeton pays $104K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $103,660 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $87,030, and experienced materials engineers can clear $137,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $104K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,403/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 30.5% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (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 $100,465 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.