The median annual wage of materials engineers was $83,120 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,680, and the top 10 percent earned more than $126,800.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of materials engineers in May 2010 were as follows:
| Federal government | $110,590 |
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | 91,920 |
| Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing | 87,660 |
| Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing | 86,380 |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 75,470 |
Most materials engineers work full time.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition