Occupation salary profile

Materials Scientists

SOC 19-2032 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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.

National median · BLS
$117,790
▲ +13.09% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$92,810
▲ +8.24% YoY · 652 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$126,180
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
8,470
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Materials Scientists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 652 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$66,820$62,000
25th$89,990$72,950
Median (50th)$117,790$92,810
75th$150,550$120,724
90th — top pay$197,290$140,128
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $92,810 for Materials Scientists — 21.2% below the BLS national median of $117,790.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Materials Scientists

BLS projects employment of materials scientists to grow 8.3% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
8,600 → 9,300
+700 jobs
Projected change
+8.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $92,810
Change vs prior year +8.24%
After inflation (CPI-U) +4.95%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 181 27.8% $60,416 $65,000 $85,000
Level II 177 27.1% $80,000 $89,865 $115,000
Level III 179 27.5% $93,746 $118,000 $130,000
Level IV 67 10.3% $115,532 $137,245 $163,218
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Materials Scientists

The 12 most-filed job titles inside SOC 19-2032, from 652 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Research Scientist 54 8.28% $84,465 $102,148 $115,000 +0.15%
Research Specialist 33 5.06% $93,746 $93,746 $118,102 -20.62%
Materials Scientist 32 4.91% $90,953 $113,482 $136,467 +17.89%
Postdoctoral Research Associate 29 4.45% $61,000 $64,356 $66,492 -0.99%
Postdoctoral Scholar 28 4.29% $62,145 $68,954 $75,781 +0.72%
Scientist generic 24 3.68% $101,330 $115,376 $129,250 +0.33%
Research Associate 20 3.07% $63,374 $83,366 $98,950 -6.79%
Postdoctoral Associate 19 2.91% $62,470 $65,000 $71,000 +0%
Postdoctoral Researcher 15 2.3% $66,415 $70,803 $73,831 +3.27%
Postdoctoral Fellow 15 2.3% $57,378 $60,861 $65,000 +3.61%
Research Associate Materials Science 14 2.15% $79,768 $80,000 $81,500 -1.23%
Associate Research Scientist 12 1.84% $89,437 $94,800 $101,254 +5.45%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Materials Scientists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Science4.0
  • Writing3.9
  • Active Learning3.8
  • Speaking3.8
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.6
  • Mathematics3.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Engineering and Technology4.8
  • Chemistry4.6
  • Physics4.4
  • Mathematics4.3
  • Computers and Electronics3.8
  • Production and Processing3.7
  • Design3.6
  • Mechanical3.4
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointPythonRHypertext markup language HTMLIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft WordThe MathWorks MATLABAccelrys Materials StudioAdvanced Chemistry Development Analytical LaboratoryANSYS LS-DYNAANSYS MultiphysicsBruker AXS EVABruker AXS LEPTOSBruker AXS TOPASChempute Software HSC ChemistryCrystalMaker

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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.

About the job

What materials scientists do

  • 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.
  • Recommend materials for reliable performance in various environments.
  • Supervise and monitor production processes to ensure efficient use of equipment, timely changes to specifications, and project completion within time frame and budget.
Also called
Materials Research EngineerMaterials ScientistResearch ScientistScientistApplications ScientistMetallurgical EngineerMicro Electrical/Mechanical Systems Device Scientist (MEMS Device Scientist)Polymer Materials ConsultantR and D Scientist (Research and Development Scientist)
More job titles for this occupation (7)
Analytical ScientistMaterial Science EngineerMetal Alloy ScientistMetallurgistPlastics ScientistPolymer SpecialistResearch Development Specialist

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.