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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

19-2032 Materials Scientists

Research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and synthetic or composite materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications. Includes glass scientists, ceramic scientists, metallurgical scientists, and polymer scientists.


National estimates for Materials Scientists
Industry profile for Materials Scientists
Geographic profile for Materials Scientists

National estimates for Materials Scientists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Materials Scientists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
7,620 6.5 % $ 53.22 $ 110,690 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Materials Scientists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 29.68 $ 38.89 $ 50.18 $ 65.03 $ 79.73
Annual Wage (2) $ 61,730 $ 80,900 $ 104,380 $ 135,250 $ 165,840


Industry profile for Materials Scientists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Materials Scientists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Materials Scientists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Materials Scientists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,790 0.32 $ 57.06 $ 118,680
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 930 0.06 $ 44.78 $ 93,130
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 560 0.16 $ 57.75 $ 120,120
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 500 0.02 $ 44.29 $ 92,120
Management of Companies and Enterprises 350 0.01 $ 57.30 $ 119,190

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Materials Scientists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,790 0.32 $ 57.06 $ 118,680
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 560 0.16 $ 57.75 $ 120,120
Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) 180 0.10 $ 44.51 $ 92,580
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing 30 0.06 $ 46.18 $ 96,060
Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing 90 0.06 $ 47.50 $ 98,800

Top paying industries for Materials Scientists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 220 0.05 $ 67.07 $ 139,500
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 180 0.05 $ 60.97 $ 126,820
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 560 0.16 $ 57.75 $ 120,120
Management of Companies and Enterprises 350 0.01 $ 57.30 $ 119,190
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,790 0.32 $ 57.06 $ 118,680


Geographic profile for Materials Scientists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Materials Scientists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Materials Scientists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of materials scientists by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Materials Scientists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 690 0.04 0.75 $ 49.39 $ 102,720
New York 590 0.06 1.25 $ 56.50 $ 117,530
Illinois 440 0.07 1.45 $ 53.39 $ 111,040
Washington 420 0.12 2.40 $ 58.01 $ 120,660
Tennessee 410 0.13 2.57 $ 58.94 $ 122,590


Map of location quotient of materials scientists by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Materials Scientists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Delaware 130 0.28 5.39 $ 54.69 $ 113,760
New Hampshire 150 0.22 4.31 $ 72.92 $ 151,670
Minnesota 390 0.14 2.65 $ 44.38 $ 92,310
Tennessee 410 0.13 2.57 $ 58.94 $ 122,590
Washington 420 0.12 2.40 $ 58.01 $ 120,660


Map of annual mean wages of materials scientists by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Materials Scientists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 50 0.03 0.62 $ 83.12 $ 172,880
New Hampshire 150 0.22 4.31 $ 72.92 $ 151,670
Tennessee 410 0.13 2.57 $ 58.94 $ 122,590
Connecticut 60 0.03 0.67 $ 58.46 $ 121,590
Washington 420 0.12 2.40 $ 58.01 $ 120,660



Map of employment of materials scientists by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Materials Scientists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 480 0.05 1.02 $ 55.07 $ 114,550
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 410 0.09 1.78 $ 54.06 $ 112,450
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 360 0.19 3.71 $ 44.73 $ 93,040
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 290 0.11 2.05 $ 51.47 $ 107,050
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 180 0.07 1.44 $ 60.70 $ 126,260
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 140 0.07 1.37 $ 59.80 $ 124,390
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 120 0.06 1.22 $ 44.84 $ 93,260
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 120 0.27 5.22 $ 63.56 $ 132,200
Rochester, NY 110 0.23 4.48 (8) (8)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 100 0.09 1.78 $ 57.33 $ 119,250


Map of location quotient of materials scientists by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Materials Scientists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 80 0.42 8.22 $ 77.52 $ 161,240
Trenton, NJ 70 0.30 5.90 $ 47.89 $ 99,610
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 120 0.27 5.22 $ 63.56 $ 132,200
Rochester, NY 110 0.23 4.48 (8) (8)
Worcester, MA-CT 60 0.23 4.43 $ 55.12 $ 114,640
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 360 0.19 3.71 $ 44.73 $ 93,040
Lancaster, PA 30 0.14 2.68 $ 47.76 $ 99,350
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 30 0.13 2.43 $ 44.87 $ 93,330
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 290 0.11 2.05 $ 51.47 $ 107,050
Knoxville, TN 40 0.09 1.84 $ 38.64 $ 80,360


Map of annual mean wages of materials scientists by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Materials Scientists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 80 0.42 8.22 $ 77.52 $ 161,240
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO (8) (8) (8) $ 73.71 $ 153,310
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 120 0.27 5.22 $ 63.56 $ 132,200
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 180 0.07 1.44 $ 60.70 $ 126,260
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 140 0.07 1.37 $ 59.80 $ 124,390
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (8) (8) (8) $ 58.54 $ 121,760
Salt Lake City, UT 60 0.08 1.46 $ 58.52 $ 121,730
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 100 0.09 1.78 $ 57.33 $ 119,250
Worcester, MA-CT 60 0.23 4.43 $ 55.12 $ 114,640
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 480 0.05 1.02 $ 55.07 $ 114,550

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Materials Scientists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 30 0.34 6.65 $ 82.41 $ 171,400

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Materials Scientists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 30 0.34 6.65 $ 82.41 $ 171,400

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Materials Scientists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 30 0.34 6.65 $ 82.41 $ 171,400


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023