Materials Scientist salary in Washington, DC
Based on 21 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Gaithersburg, Manassas, College Park, Ashburn, Mc Lean.
Also listed as: Research Associate Materials Science
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $79,569 |
| 25th | $81,761 |
| 50th (median) | $92,800 |
| 75th | $105,000 |
| 90th | $127,957 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $77,209 | $70,000 | $81,549 | 14 |
| FY2021 | $66,300 | $45,685 | $77,369 | 13 |
| FY2022 | $71,010 | $65,441 | $75,498 | 16 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2024 | $70,055 | $56,571 | $79,575 | 10 |
| FY2025 | $84,800 | $80,000 | $92,800 | 13 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 8 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Materials Scientist salary of $92,800 is worth about $85,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Materials Scientists in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $127,490 in May 2025 (120 employed). The H-1B median here is $92,800, 27% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | too few | 3 |
| Smoore Labs | too few | 3 |
| University of Maryland College Park | too few | 3 |
| Agr | too few | 2 |
| Theiss Research | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | too few | 5 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 5 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.