Best cities for a material engineer
The best cities for material engineers are Chandler, AZ, Tucson, AZ, and Lexington, KY, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for material engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for material engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a material engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for material engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for material engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a material engineer. While the absolute best city for material engineers is Chandler, AZ, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for material engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a material engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for material engineers in 2025
1. Chandler, AZ
Total material engineer jobs: 103 Average annual salary: $92,137 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location quotient: 73.16 2. Tucson, AZ
Total material engineer jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $91,989 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location quotient: 9.35 3. Lexington, KY
Total material engineer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $85,020 Lowest 10 percent warn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location quotient: 9.06 4. Houston, TX
Total material engineer jobs: 202 Average annual salary: $87,040 Lowest 10 percent warn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location quotient: 12.68 5. Albuquerque, NM
Total material engineer jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $94,490 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location quotient: 3.70 6. Phoenix, AZ
Total material engineer jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $92,195 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location quotient: 2.37 7. Saint Paul, MN
Total material engineer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $92,723 Lowest 10 percent warn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location quotient: 2.94 8. Austin, TX
Total material engineer jobs: 36 Average annual salary: $87,240 Lowest 10 percent warn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location quotient: 3.80 9. Fort Worth, TX
Total material engineer jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $86,174 Lowest 10 percent warn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location quotient: 3.84 10. Memphis, TN
Total material engineer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $81,455 Lowest 10 percent warn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location quotient: 2.85
Choose from 10+ customizable material engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use material engineer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your material engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for material engineers
- Chandler, AZ
- Tucson, AZ
- Lexington, KY
- Houston, TX
- Albuquerque, NM
- Phoenix, AZ
- Saint Paul, MN
- Austin, TX
- Fort Worth, TX
- Memphis, TN
- (103 material engineer jobs)
- (15 material engineer jobs)
- (8 material engineer jobs)
- (202 material engineer jobs)
- (7 material engineer jobs)
- (21 material engineer jobs)
- (8 material engineer jobs)
- (36 material engineer jobs)
- (9 material engineer jobs)
- (8 material engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a material engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chandler, AZ | $92,137 | $69,000 | 247,477 | 103 |
| 2 | Tucson, AZ | $91,989 | $69,000 | 530,706 | 15 |
| 3 | Lexington, KY | $85,020 | $64,000 | 318,449 | 8 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | $87,040 | $65,000 | 2,303,482 | 202 |
| 5 | Albuquerque, NM | $94,490 | $71,000 | 559,277 | 7 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $92,195 | $69,000 | 1,615,017 | 21 |
| 7 | Saint Paul, MN | $92,723 | $70,000 | 302,398 | 8 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $87,240 | $65,000 | 947,890 | 36 |
| 9 | Fort Worth, TX | $86,174 | $65,000 | 854,113 | 9 |
| 10 | Memphis, TN | $81,455 | $62,000 | 652,717 | 8 |
| 11 | Fremont, CA | $101,102 | $74,000 | 233,136 | 110 |
| 12 | North Las Vegas, NV | $81,556 | $60,000 | 238,702 | 5 |
| 13 | Toledo, OH | $75,014 | $56,000 | 278,508 | 6 |
| 14 | Dallas, TX | $86,043 | $65,000 | 1,317,929 | 23 |
| 15 | San Jose, CA | $100,664 | $74,000 | 1,025,350 | 102 |
| 16 | Pittsburgh, PA | $82,927 | $61,000 | 303,625 | 15 |
| 17 | Louisville, KY | $84,714 | $64,000 | 597,337 | 3 |
| 18 | Glendale, AZ | $92,209 | $69,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 19 | Henderson, NV | $81,124 | $60,000 | 292,969 | 2 |
| 20 | Nashville, TN | $81,349 | $62,000 | 660,388 | 5 |
| 21 | Scottsdale, AZ | $92,165 | $69,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 22 | Detroit, MI | $76,067 | $56,000 | 672,795 | 13 |
| 23 | Gilbert, AZ | $92,123 | $69,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 24 | Wichita, KS | $74,464 | $56,000 | 389,902 | 14 |
| 25 | Mesa, AZ | $92,122 | $69,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 26 | Portland, OR | $91,866 | $68,000 | 639,863 | 7 |
| 27 | Oakland, CA | $101,602 | $74,000 | 420,005 | 3 |
| 28 | San Antonio, TX | $87,472 | $66,000 | 1,492,510 | 4 |
| 29 | Minneapolis, MN | $92,716 | $70,000 | 413,651 | 3 |
| 30 | Boston, MA | $99,936 | $73,000 | 673,184 | 5 |
| 31 | Philadelphia, PA | $85,412 | $63,000 | 1,567,872 | 4 |
| 32 | Durham, NC | $77,359 | $58,000 | 263,016 | 12 |
| 33 | Santa Ana, CA | $91,215 | $68,000 | 334,217 | 17 |
| 34 | New Orleans, LA | $86,929 | $65,000 | 391,495 | - |
| 35 | Cleveland, OH | $75,957 | $56,000 | 385,809 | 4 |
| 36 | Reno, NV | $87,775 | $64,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 37 | Greensboro, NC | $76,686 | $58,000 | 287,027 | 5 |
| 38 | El Paso, TX | $87,819 | $66,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 39 | Corpus Christi, TX | $87,290 | $65,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 40 | Chula Vista, CA | $90,309 | $68,000 | 267,172 | 3 |
| 41 | Irving, TX | $86,035 | $65,000 | 238,289 | 3 |
| 42 | Anaheim, CA | $91,303 | $68,000 | 351,043 | 4 |
| 43 | Colorado Springs, CO | $92,079 | $69,000 | 465,101 | 2 |
| 44 | Buffalo, NY | $89,325 | $66,000 | 256,902 | 6 |
| 45 | Laredo, TX | $87,367 | $66,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 46 | Lubbock, TX | $86,727 | $65,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 47 | Arlington, TX | $86,145 | $65,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 48 | Columbus, OH | $74,345 | $56,000 | 860,090 | 9 |
| 49 | Riverside, CA | $91,192 | $68,000 | 324,722 | 4 |
| 50 | Sacramento, CA | $101,478 | $74,000 | 495,234 | 2 |
Highest paying cities for material engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. material engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menlo Park, CA | $101,167 |
| 2 | Danvers, MA | $99,743 |
| 3 | Kent, WA | $94,628 |
| 4 | Rio Rancho, NM | $94,464 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $92,195 |
| 6 | Hillsboro, OR | $92,014 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $91,860 |
| 8 | Lynchburg, VA | $87,464 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $87,240 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | $82,927 |
| 11 | Columbus, MS | $82,083 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $78,474 |
| 13 | LaGrange, GA | $77,950 |
| 14 | Durham, NC | $77,359 |
| 15 | Warren, MI | $76,144 |
| 16 | Wichita, KS | $74,464 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $74,345 |
| 18 | Lehi, UT | $73,611 |
| 19 | Huntsville, AL | $72,271 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | $70,754 |
Material engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for material engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025