State comparison · 2025
Materials Engineers salary: Illinois vs New Mexico
Materials Engineers in New Mexico earn a median of $165,600. In Illinois, $126,620. After cost-of-living, the gap is 29.5% — not 23.5%.
Nominal pay gap
-23.5%
Illinois vs New Mexico
COL-adjusted gap
-29.5%
After BEA Regional Price Parities
Illinois
Materials Engineers
- Median
- $126,620
- p25
- $91,570
- p75
- $136,710
- p10
- $71,780
- p90
- $165,710
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 100.0
- Hiring velocity (180d)
- -27%
New Mexico
Materials Engineers
- Median
- $165,600
- p25
- $160,340
- p75
- $197,900
- p10
- $126,640
- p90
- $204,400
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 92.2
- Hiring velocity (180d)
- +171%
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Cost-of-living adjustment from BEA Regional Price Parities (overall index). Hiring velocity from DOL OFLC public disclosure data, recent 180 days vs prior. See methodology.