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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

17-2131 Materials Engineers

Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
26,820 2.4 % $47.06 $97,890 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $27.57 $34.82 $44.88 $57.78 $71.62
Annual Wage (2) $57,340 $72,420 $93,360 $120,180 $148,960


Industry profile for this occupation:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 3,950 0.26 $46.68 $97,090
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 3,020 0.58 $55.68 $115,810
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,940 0.27 $52.56 $109,330
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,430 0.07 $55.90 $116,270
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,090 0.04 $49.01 $101,940

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 1,030 1.20 $39.94 $83,080
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing 430 0.69 $41.28 $85,860
Metal Ore Mining 290 0.69 $42.89 $89,200
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 3,020 0.58 $55.68 $115,810
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing 270 0.44 $43.89 $91,300

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 80 0.05 $61.40 $127,710
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,430 0.07 $55.90 $116,270
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 3,020 0.58 $55.68 $115,810
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 50 (7) $55.27 $114,970
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 660 0.18 $54.41 $113,160


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 2,760 0.22 1.22 $50.12 $104,250
California 2,550 0.15 0.80 $51.68 $107,490
Ohio 2,110 0.39 2.12 $41.98 $87,320
Pennsylvania 1,660 0.28 1.54 $44.30 $92,140
Michigan 1,410 0.32 1.77 $39.82 $82,820




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Mexico 390 0.48 2.61 $58.63 $121,950
Alabama 790 0.40 2.20 $43.52 $90,530
Ohio 2,110 0.39 2.12 $41.98 $87,320
South Carolina 780 0.37 2.02 $41.52 $86,350
Washington 1,060 0.32 1.76 $60.15 $125,110




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 1,060 0.32 1.76 $60.15 $125,110
New Mexico 390 0.48 2.61 $58.63 $121,950
Maryland 810 0.30 1.63 $58.17 $120,990
Idaho 190 0.26 1.43 $52.45 $109,090
Louisiana 350 0.18 0.98 $51.98 $108,110





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,100 0.36 1.98 $55.75 $115,970
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,020 0.16 0.90 $54.27 $112,880
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 800 0.17 0.94 $41.57 $86,460
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 800 0.40 2.21 $41.18 $85,660
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 650 0.07 0.37 $49.29 $102,510
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 580 0.16 0.86 $48.87 $101,660
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 510 0.45 2.45 $54.31 $112,960
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 510 0.42 2.30 $44.73 $93,040
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 500 0.16 0.87 $61.39 $127,690
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 490 0.18 0.96 $47.36 $98,510




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California-Lexington Park, MD 90 1.90 10.42 $59.74 $124,270
Huntsville, AL 340 1.46 8.01 $48.59 $101,070
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA 160 1.41 7.70 (8) (8)
Muskegon, MI 70 1.15 6.32 $35.68 $74,210
Decatur, AL 60 1.01 5.50 $47.87 $99,560
Mansfield, OH 50 0.94 5.16 $38.69 $80,480
Dayton, OH 360 0.94 5.17 $54.04 $112,400
Lima, OH 50 0.91 4.98 $44.31 $92,160
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 300 0.84 4.62 $42.28 $87,930
Mobile, AL 140 0.77 4.23 $39.75 $82,680




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 500 0.16 0.87 $61.39 $127,690
Boulder, CO 130 0.72 3.92 $61.18 $127,260
Albuquerque, NM 240 0.61 3.34 $61.04 $126,970
California-Lexington Park, MD 90 1.90 10.42 $59.74 $124,270
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 160 0.22 1.18 $57.45 $119,490
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 290 0.21 1.16 $56.10 $116,680
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,100 0.36 1.98 $55.75 $115,970
Kennewick-Richland, WA 40 0.33 1.80 $54.76 $113,900
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 510 0.45 2.45 $54.31 $112,960
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,020 0.16 0.90 $54.27 $112,880

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 140 0.56 3.06 $37.33 $77,640
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 90 0.31 1.71 $41.40 $86,110
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 90 0.39 2.14 $37.49 $77,990
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 80 0.86 4.71 $42.27 $87,920
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 70 0.71 3.91 $45.47 $94,580

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 70 0.95 5.19 $35.93 $74,730
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 80 0.86 4.71 $42.27 $87,920
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 70 0.71 3.91 $45.47 $94,580
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 140 0.56 3.06 $37.33 $77,640
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 60 0.41 2.24 $41.76 $86,870

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.13 0.72 $54.71 $113,800
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 40 0.18 1.00 $46.04 $95,770
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 70 0.71 3.91 $45.47 $94,580
Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.22 1.22 $42.56 $88,530
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 80 0.86 4.71 $42.27 $87,920


About May 2019 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.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020