Materials Engineer Salary in Berkeley, CA

How much does a Materials Engineer make in Berkeley, CA?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Materials Engineer in Berkeley, CA is $128,258 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $62.

However, a Materials Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $150,510
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $116,452 to $139,906
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $105,702
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View as table View as graph 25% $116,452 10% $105,702 90% $150,510 75% $139,906 $128,258 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Materials Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $139,906 $11,659 $2,690 $67
Average $128,258 $10,688 $2,467 $62
25th Percentile $116,452 $9,704 $2,239 $56
Check out Materials Engineer Job Openings in Berkeley, CA
Manufacturing Tech

Insight Global - Berkeley, CA

Production Supervisor

Petit Pot - Berkeley, CA

Business Development Director High Growth Property Management Company

Premium Properties & Development - Berkeley, CA

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Key Factors That Influence Materials Engineer Salaries

A Materials Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Materials Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Materials Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $95,273
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $112,550
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $127,402
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $155,561
  • Expert (over 8 years): $190,279
Levels Salary
Materials... Level Materials Engineer$95,273
Materials... Level Materials Engineer$112,550
Materials... Level Materials Engineer$127,402
Materials... Level Materials Engineer$155,561
Materials... Level Materials Engineer$190,279
$95,273 0 yr
$112,550 < 2 yrs
$127,402 2-4 yrs
$155,561 5-8 yrs
$190,279 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Materials Engineers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $132,319
  • San Francisco: $130,870
  • Oakland: $128,112

What Skills Can Increase a Materials Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 17.04% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Test Plans (Mentioned in 2.25% Job Postings): A test plan is a document detailing the objectives, resources, and processes for a specific test for a software or hardware product. The plan typically contains a detailed understanding of the eventual workflow.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.29% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 17.04%
Test Plans 2.25%
Continuous Improvement 1.29%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Materials Engineer's salary.
  • Process Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Results Oriented: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Chemistry: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Process Development
$137,236
7%
Results Oriented
$137,236
7%
Chemistry
$134,671
5%
Welding
$134,671
5%
Test Plans
$134,671
5%
SEM
$134,671
5%
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Materials Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Materials Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 120% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Chemicals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 60% above the average. In contrast, Materials Engineer positions in Aerospace & Defense or Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Materials Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Materials Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$205,213$99.060%
Chemicals$192,387$92.050%
Retail & Wholesale$185,974$89.045%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$179,562$86.040%
Telecom$173,149$83.035%

Materials Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Materials Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Find Your Next Materials Engineer Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Materials Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • Confidential

    Berkeley, CA

    Confidential | Berkeley, CA

    Vice President of Finance. About the Company. Rapid-growth startup seeking hands-on finance leader for FP&A and accounting. Industry. Financial Services. T... more

    5 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Berkeley, CA

    Confidential | Berkeley, CA

    Chief Communications Officer (CCO). About the Company. Pioneering government-funded research facility. Industry. Research. Type. Government Agency. Founded... more

    5 Days Ago

  • Masaya Homes

    Berkeley, CA

    Masaya Homes | Berkeley, CA

    The Company. Masaya Homes is a sustainable prefab home company committed to merging craftsmanship with eco-friendly practices. Each home is built from wood... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Acceler8 Talent

    Berkeley, CA

    Acceler8 Talent | Berkeley, CA

    Hiring: Digital IC Design Engineer. Location. Berkeley, California. Working model. Onsite, five days per week. Compensation. From $180,000 base salary, plu... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Berkeley, CA

    Confidential | Berkeley, CA

    Chief Development Officer. About the Company. Prominent organization providing social & cultural services to the local Jewish community. Industry. Non-Prof... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Berkeley, CA

    Confidential | Berkeley, CA

    Chief Medical Officer (CMO). About the Company. Esteemed provider of medical, dental & social services. Industry. Hospital & Health Care. Type. Non Profit.... more

    7 Days Ago

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