Materials Scientists Salary
The median pay for a materials scientists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $75,360/year ($36.23/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $57K at the entry level to $137K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $76,407 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 30.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $75K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). 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 scientists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Pay for materials scientists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands runs about 36% below the U.S. median of $118K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for materials scientists in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| College Station-Bryan | $63K | $70K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $82K | $80K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level materials scientists (10th percentile) start around $57K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $137K or more, a $81K spread from bottom to top.
Materials Scientists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Materials Scientists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $177K | +50% | 1,030 |
| Oregon | $151K | +28% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $138K | +17% | 70 |
| District of Columbia | $138K | +17% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $133K | +13% | 890 |
| Minnesota | $132K | +12% | 290 |
| New York | $132K | +12% | 530 |
| Indiana | $131K | +11% | 320 |
| Connecticut | $130K | +11% | 50 |
| Washington | $127K | +8% | 290 |
| Utah | $127K | +8% | 110 |
| Illinois | $126K | +7% | 380 |
| Virginia | $124K | +5% | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $120K | +2% | 80 |
| Colorado | $117K | -0% | 370 |
| Kansas | $115K | -2% | 40 |
| Maryland | $112K | -5% | 270 |
| Ohio | $109K | -8% | 450 |
| Michigan | $107K | -9% | 230 |
| Pennsylvania | $107K | -9% | 100 |
| North Carolina | $106K | -10% | 490 |
| New Jersey | $103K | -12% | 440 |
| Florida | $102K | -13% | 200 |
| South Carolina | $102K | -13% | 80 |
| Nevada | $97K | -17% | 100 |
| Georgia | $92K | -22% | 350 |
| Iowa | $88K | -25% | 180 |
| Texas | $73K | -38% | 300 |
| Montana | $72K | -39% | 50 |
| Tennessee | $69K | -41% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 30 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track materials scientists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a materials scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 30.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for materials scientists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new materials scientists typically earn — is $57K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,412/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is materials scientist a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay runs 36% below the national median — $75K here vs. $118K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for materials scientists?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $118K — that’s -36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — below the national median.
How much do materials scientists make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $75,360 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,870, and experienced materials scientists can clear $137,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,117/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 30.7% 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 scientists salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 scientists salary is worth about $76,407 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do materials scientists 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.