Materials Engineers Salary in California
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Materials Engineers in California is $128,470. BLS estimates approximately 3,020 people work in this occupation in California. California is 13.8% above the national median ($112,860).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $82,460 | $39.64 |
| 25th percentile | $103,250 | $49.64 |
| Median (50th) | $128,470 | $61.77 |
| 75th percentile | $157,980 | $75.95 |
| 90th percentile | $183,880 | $88.40 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 1.2% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 4.2% — Very reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.166
- Location quotient
- 1.13
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
California’s regional price level is above the national average (index 110.72, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $116,031 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Opportunity Score
A Career Atlas USA score combining cost-adjusted salary, job density, concentration and employment availability, ranked against every other state for this career. How we calculate this score →
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.