Lead / Director Materials Engineers salary in California
Roles that direct strategy, lead teams, or hold full functional ownership. Typically ten or more years of experience or a Director-class title with budget responsibility.
Lead / Director Materials Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 81 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $169,853. 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 IV — fully competent | 81 | $169,853 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Lead / Director 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 | 28 | $158,018 |
| Apple Inc. | Hardware Development | 20 | $175,800 |
| Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | Principal Engineer, Product Development Engineering | 6 | $178,797 |
| QuantumScape Battery, Inc. | CMTS, Tech Manager V | 4 | $171,977 |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | Process Engineer | 2 | $183,274 |
| Skyworks Solutions, Inc. | STAFF PROCESS ENGINEER | 1 | $149,249 |
| Impossible Foods Inc. | Senior Packaging Engineer | 1 | $160,139 |
| Aeolus Labs, Inc. | Principal Process Engineer | 1 | $180,000 |
| Tesla, Inc. | Staff Materials Engineer | 1 | $181,427 |
| Becton, Dickinson and Company | Principal Engineer “ Product Stewardship | 1 | $150,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- STAFF PROCESS ENGINEER at Skyworks Solutions, Inc.$149,249NEWBURY PARKWage Level IVDecided Sep 30, 2025I-200-25267-330103
- Process Engineer at Lam Research Corporation$160,139FremontWage Level IVDecided Sep 19, 2025I-200-25255-305623
- Reliability Engineering at Apple Inc.$181,100CupertinoWage Level IVDecided Sep 17, 2025I-200-25253-299669
- Senior Packaging Engineer at Impossible Foods Inc.$160,139OaklandWage Level IVDecided Sep 3, 2025I-200-25238-268947
- Module Design Engineer at Apple Inc.$181,100CupertinoWage Level IVDecided Aug 26, 2025I-200-25231-251123
- Principal Process Engineer at Aeolus Labs, Inc.$180,000San FranciscoWage Level IVDecided Aug 25, 2025I-200-25230-250364
- Principal Engineer, Product Development Engineering at Sandisk Technologies, Inc.$178,797MilpitasWage Level IVDecided Aug 15, 2025I-200-25220-232200
- Principal Engineer, Product Development Engineering at Sandisk Technologies, Inc.$178,797CampbellWage Level IVDecided Aug 15, 2025I-200-25220-232204
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.