RateOrchard
Seniority Profile · California

Entry-level Materials Engineers salary in California

Roles that require limited judgement and close supervision. Typically less than two years of relevant experience or fresh graduates entering the field.

Adrian Serafin, founder and editor of RateOrchardBy Adrian SerafinFounderUpdated May 4, 2026
BLS percentile range
P10 to P25 of the California OES distribution for Materials Engineers.
DOL OFLC offered median
$94,474
Across 37 certified filings at this wage level.
Real disclosed salaries

Entry-level Materials Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay

Public records from 37 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $94,474. 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.

LevelFilingsMedian offer
Level I — entry37$94,474

Top employers filing for this role

Companies with the most certified filings for Entry-level Materials Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.

EmployerMost-filed titleFilingsMedian
The Leland Stanford, Jr UniversityPostdoctoral Research Affiliate5$74,606
Nanolab Technologies, Inc.Materials Analyst, TEM4$94,307
Western Digital Technologies, Inc.Senior Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering2$95,243
Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCPostdoctoral Research Staff2$134,807
Lam Research CorporationProcess Engineer1$108,160
E & E Co., Ltd.Materials Engineer1$94,474
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstitutePostdoctoral Research Associate1$58,656
SirenOpt Inc.Metrology Application Specialist1$110,000
GTR Solutions, Inc.Material Process Engineer1$74,880
CAM Industrial Solutions LLCPlant Operator I1$89,232

Recent sample filings

A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.

  • Process Engineer at Lam Research Corporation
    $108,160
    FremontWage Level IDecided Sep 17, 2025I-200-25253-300791
  • Materials Engineer at E & E Co., Ltd.
    $94,474
    FremontWage Level IDecided Aug 21, 2025I-200-25226-244229
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
    $58,656
    Santa ClaraWage Level IDecided Aug 8, 2025I-200-25213-214931
  • Metrology Application Specialist at SirenOpt Inc.
    $110,000
    OaklandWage Level IDecided Jul 25, 2025I-200-25199-185120
  • Material Process Engineer at GTR Solutions, Inc.
    $74,880
    CoronaWage Level IDecided Jul 1, 2025I-200-25175-124906
  • Plant Operator I at CAM Industrial Solutions LLC
    $89,232
    Los AngelesWage Level IDecided Jun 25, 2025I-200-25168-103884
  • SEM Analyst at Nanolab Technologies, Inc.
    $105,395
    MilpitasWage Level IDecided Jun 17, 2025I-200-25161-074983
  • Battery Material Engineer at Sinexcel Inc.
    $83,782
    IrvineWage Level IDecided Jun 16, 2025I-200-25160-070598

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.