Materials Scientist salary
From 1,200 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 19-2032: Materials Scientists
- Also filed as: Research Associate Materials Science
At a glance
- Mostly Level III (senior). 31% of Materials Scientist filings are Level III, compared with 21% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: The Dow Chemical Company. 88 filings (7% of the total), median $106,995.
- Median up 28% since FY2020. From $77,267 in FY2020 to $99,248 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Materials Scientist H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 1,200 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Materials Scientist jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 19-2032, Materials Scientists). The median base salary is $93,746, 24% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $73,756 and $121,888. The most common wage level is Level III (senior), at 31% of filings. Houston, TX has the most filings (117), and The Dow Chemical Company is the employer that files the most (88).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Materials Scientist
Battelle Memorial Institute19 filings · 2%$122,000
Northwestern University18 filings · 2%$65,582
Underwriters Laboratories18 filings · 2%$106,500
University of Michigan17 filings · 1%$62,232
Alliance for Sustainable Energy14 filings · 1%$72,488
Employers with the most Materials Scientist filings. Bar: share of all Materials Scientist filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 28% of filings
Mid-level · 27% of filings
Senior · 31% of filings
Expert · 14% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $65,000 | 309 |
| Level II · Qualified | $89,107 | 300 |
| Level III · Experienced | $115,000 | 349 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $137,122 | 156 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Materials Scientist pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 25 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | $93,746 | 117 |
| New York, NY | $105,456 | 91 |
| Knoxville, TN | $87,703 | 76 |
| Chicago, IL | $84,094 | 65 |
| San Francisco, CA | $139,000 | 57 |
| San Jose, CA | $150,515 | 50 |
| Boston, MA | $109,080 | 44 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $110,074 | 36 |
| Atlanta, GA | $96,311 | 30 |
| Midland, MI | $107,515 | 23 |
| Ames, IA | $80,000 | 22 |
| Denver, CO | $73,831 | 22 |
| Washington, DC | $92,800 | 21 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $64,000 | 19 |
| Kennewick, WA | $122,000 | 19 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $129,563 | 19 |
| Austin, TX | $80,000 | 17 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $139,200 | 16 |
| Cleveland, OH | $96,000 | 13 |
| Albany, NY | $129,100 | 12 |
| Dallas, TX | $63,300 | 11 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $74,281 | 11 |
| Los Alamos, NM | $110,612 | 10 |
| Seattle, WA | $83,820 | 10 |
| State College, PA | $65,856 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Materials Scientist does
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.
Typical tasks
- Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
- Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.
- Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
- 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.
- Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.
- Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special characteristics.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Materials Scientists (19-2032.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Materials Scientists), the median annual wage was $117,790 in May 2025, with 8,470 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $93,746, 20% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,889 | $66,820 |
| 25th percentile | $73,756 | $89,990 |
| Median | $93,746 | $117,790 |
| 75th percentile | $121,888 | $150,550 |
| 90th percentile | $142,508 | $197,290 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $61,889 |
| 25th | $73,756 |
| 50th (median) | $93,746 |
| 75th | $121,888 |
| 90th | $142,508 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $77,267 | $59,000 | $100,000 | 684 |
| FY2021 | $74,318 | $58,000 | $101,803 | 638 |
| FY2022 | $80,000 | $63,627 | $106,454 | 593 |
| FY2023 | $80,863 | $63,378 | $109,005 | 558 |
| FY2024 | $84,000 | $65,075 | $115,000 | 566 |
| FY2025 | $91,713 | $70,803 | $118,102 | 684 |
| FY2026 | $99,248 | $79,327 | $128,943 | 516 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Materials Scientist make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Materials Scientist jobs is $93,746 (1,200 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $73,756 and $121,888.
What does an entry-level Materials Scientist earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $65,000. Level I accounts for 28% of Materials Scientist filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Materials Scientists?
The Dow Chemical Company (88), Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) (65) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (55) filed the most Materials Scientist LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Materials Scientists earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($93,746) is 20% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($117,790, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.