Entry-level Materials Scientist salary in Boston, MA

Based on 15 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Waltham, Woburn, Marlborough, Somerville.

Also listed as: Research Associate Materials Science

Median salary$90,334
Middle 50%$70k–$92.8k
vs. all levels here−17%comparison median $109,080
Filings15FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $53,132 and $101,440.
PercentileSalary
10th$64,240
25th$70,000
50th (median)$90,334
75th$92,800
90th$97,840

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $70k $90k FY2020: median $57,000 (18 filings) FY2021: median $57,084 (12 filings) FY2025: median $82,417 (12 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 18 filings FY20 FY2021: 12 filings FY21 FY2022: 4 filings FY22 FY2023: 4 filings FY23 FY2024: 5 filings FY24 FY2025: 12 filings FY25 FY2026: 3 filings FY26 18
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$57,000$53,572$68,27518
FY2021$57,084$56,712$60,00012
FY2022–––4
FY2023–––4
FY2024–––5
FY2025$82,417$70,500$91,15112
FY2026–––3

Cost of living

Boston's median entry-level Materials Scientist salary of $90,334 is worth about $83,400 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Materials Scientists in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $132,600 in May 2025 (700 employed). The H-1B median here is $90,334, 32% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Massachusetts Institute of Technologytoo few4
Formlabstoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $90,334 15
Mid-level · Level II too few 2
Senior · Level III $125,000 17
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$90,334$90,33415
Senior · Level III$121,222$125,00017

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.