Materials Engineers Salary
The median pay for a materials engineers in Tucson, AZ is $95,930/year ($46.12/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $159K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.9), that's roughly $98,999 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,402/month, or 22.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $96K get you in Tucson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tucson’s Regional Price Parity (96.9). 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 Tucson
Pay for materials engineers in Tucson runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $113K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,402/month, 22.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.9) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Tucson 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 Tucson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $125K | $121K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $125K | $110K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $157K | $142K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $126K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tucson, AZ
Entry-level materials engineers (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $159K or more, a $77K 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
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 Tucson numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tucson?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 22.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,402/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials engineers in Tucson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials engineers typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,922/month. At HUD’s $1,402/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is materials engineer a high-paying job in Tucson?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $96K here vs. $113K nationally.
How does Tucson compare to the national average for materials engineers?
Tucson pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $113K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $99K — below the national median.
How much do materials engineers make in Tucson, AZ?
The median is $95,930 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,040, and experienced materials engineers can clear $159,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Tucson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,123/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,402/month, which eats 22.9% 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 Tucson?
Tucson has a Regional Price Parity of 96.9 (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 $98,999 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.