Salary distribution
Where California materials engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $106,080 and $153,110, with a median of $127,550.
Materials Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 412 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $144,664. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 37 | $94,474 |
| Level II — qualified | 85 | $119,496 |
| Level III — experienced | 151 | $144,664 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 81 | $169,853 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Materials Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lam Research Corporation | Process Engineer | 64 | $144,664 |
| Apple Inc. | Hardware Development | 55 | $155,251 |
| Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering | 30 | $144,664 |
| Headway Technologies, Inc. | Integration Engineer | 22 | $159,200 |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | Process Engineer | 15 | $168,331 |
| Intel Corporation | Process Engineer | 14 | $144,664 |
| Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | Principal Engineer, Product Development Engineering | 12 | $163,031 |
| KLA Corporation | Product Development Applications Engineer | 12 | $145,245 |
| Applied Materials, Inc | Process Engineer | 8 | $150,588 |
| ASML US, LP | Senior Materials and Conditioning Engineer 1 | 6 | $144,664 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Manager, R&D Packaging at Stryker Corporation$160,139FremontDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503505
- System Product Design Engineer at Apple Inc.$181,100San DiegoDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-500760
- Acoustical Engineer at Sonos, Inc.$140,962GoletaDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25354-499722
- Test Engineer at Eleryc, Inc.$120,000CampbellDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-494426
- Process Engineer at Applied Materials, Inc.$180,568SunnyvaleDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-495894
- IC Packaging Engineering at Apple Inc.$181,100Santa ClaraDecided Dec 23, 2025I-200-25350-485354
- Process Engineer at Applied Materials, Inc.$178,797SunnyvaleDecided Dec 23, 2025I-200-25350-488170
- Lead Application Engineer at Henkel Corporation$124,842IrvineDecided Dec 17, 2025I-200-25345-473856
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Materials Engineers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Materials Engineers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 222 certified offers. The most common variant is Process Engineer at a median of $144,664.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process Engineer | Lam Research Corporation | 82 | $144,664 |
| Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering | Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 56 | $144,664 |
| Product Engineer | Lam Research Corporation | 23 | $144,664 |
| Materials Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 13 | $125,000 |
| Hardware Development | Apple Inc. | 9 | $169,853 |
| Product Development Applications Engineer | KLA Corporation | 8 | $136,665 |
| Application Engineer | Applied Materials, Inc. | 7 | $138,450 |
| Materials Engineering | Apple Inc. | 6 | $194,450 |
| IC Packaging Engineering | Apple Inc. | 5 | $175,800 |
| Postdoctoral Research Affiliate | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 5 | $74,606 |
| Manager, R&D Packaging | Stryker Corporation | 4 | $160,070 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | 4 | $78,685 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Materials Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 411 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Manufacturing leads with a median of $144,664.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Lam Research Corporation | 333 | $144,664 |
| Professional services | Nanolab Technologies, Inc. | 44 | $119,496 |
| Education | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 12 | $74,785 |
| Technology and software | Nokia of America Corporation | 11 | $190,000 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 6 | $106,998 |
| Energy and utilities | MP Mine Operations LLC | 4 | $144,300 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Open Avenues Foundation | 1 | $131,706 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.3 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Chemistry
Knowledge
- 4.2 / 5
Physics
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Production and Processing
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Science
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
- 02
Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
- 03
Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
- 04
Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- 05
Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
- 06
Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
- 07
Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
- 08
Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+5.7%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for materials engineers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$151,260
- San Francisco$134,560
- Sacramento$127,140
- San Diego$124,130
- Los Angeles$119,580
- Riverside$106,100
Compare Materials Engineers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Materials Engineers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Materials Engineers in California is $127,550.
- How does California compare to the national median for Materials Engineers?
- The California median is +16.0% versus the BLS national figure of $109,979.
- What is the salary range for Materials Engineers in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $87,070 and the 90th-percentile at $181,500, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Materials Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 5.7% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Materials Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.