Best states for a materials scientist

Q: What is the best state for materials scientists?

The best state to be a materials scientist is Connecticut based on materials scientist salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for materials scientists?

The highest paying state for materials scientists is West Virginia based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for materials scientists?

The worst state for materials scientists is West Virginia, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for materials scientists? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for materials scientist jobs.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for materials scientist jobs.

The median salary for materials scientists in Connecticut is $96,858. Compare that to the median salary in West Virginia of $56,138, which ranked worst for materials scientists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Connecticut is the best state, and Carson City is the city with the highest pay for materials scientists.

10 best states for materials scientists in 2025

1. Connecticut
Total materials scientist jobs: 306
Average annual salary: $96,858
Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000
Location Quotient:
1.19
Materials scientist jobs in Connecticut
2. New Hampshire
Total materials scientist jobs: 153
Average annual salary: $96,485
Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000
Location Quotient:
1.13
Materials scientist jobs in New Hampshire
3. New Mexico
Total materials scientist jobs: 184
Average annual salary: $86,597
Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000
Location Quotient:
1.21
Materials scientist jobs in New Mexico
4. Oregon
Total materials scientist jobs: 383
Average annual salary: $87,703
Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000
Location Quotient:
1.19
Materials scientist jobs in Oregon
5. California
Total materials scientist jobs: 2,515
Average annual salary: $98,390
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000
Location Quotient:
1.11
Materials scientist jobs in California
6. Nevada
Total materials scientist jobs: 112
Average annual salary: $109,501
Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000
Location Quotient:
0.69
Materials scientist jobs in Nevada
7. Washington
Total materials scientist jobs: 548
Average annual salary: $91,747
Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000
Location Quotient:
0.97
Materials scientist jobs in Washington
8. Virginia
Total materials scientist jobs: 1,099
Average annual salary: $84,598
Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000
Location Quotient:
1.51
Materials scientist jobs in Virginia
9. North Carolina
Total materials scientist jobs: 979
Average annual salary: $80,144
Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000
Location Quotient:
1.32
Materials scientist jobs in North Carolina
10. Maine
Total materials scientist jobs: 92
Average annual salary: $86,082
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000
Location Quotient:
0.9
Materials scientist jobs in Maine

Materials scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a materials scientist

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a materials scientist

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Connecticut	$96,858	$67,000	3,588,184	306
2	New Hampshire	$96,485	$68,000	1,342,795	153
3	New Mexico	$86,597	$55,000	2,088,070	184
4	Oregon	$87,703	$56,000	4,142,776	383
5	California	$98,390	$64,000	39,536,653	2,515
6	Nevada	$109,501	$71,000	2,998,039	112
7	Washington	$91,747	$58,000	7,405,743	548
8	Virginia	$84,598	$56,000	8,470,020	1,099
9	North Carolina	$80,144	$52,000	10,273,419	979
10	Maine	$86,082	$61,000	1,335,907	92
11	Utah	$83,136	$52,000	3,101,833	266
12	Montana	$82,713	$52,000	1,050,493	99
13	Indiana	$82,589	$55,000	6,666,818	362
14	Illinois	$81,663	$54,000	12,802,023	1,010
15	South Dakota	$77,048	$51,000	869,666	105
16	Pennsylvania	$77,580	$53,000	12,805,537	1,170
17	Colorado	$84,290	$54,000	5,607,154	385
18	New Jersey	$79,810	$55,000	9,005,644	1,034
19	Ohio	$79,291	$53,000	11,658,609	603
20	Iowa	$79,191	$53,000	3,145,711	196
21	Vermont	$76,964	$54,000	623,657	66
22	Kansas	$78,534	$51,000	2,913,123	185
23	New York	$77,259	$53,000	19,849,399	1,415
24	Arkansas	$78,331	$50,000	3,004,279	101
25	Hawaii	$85,149	$65,000	1,427,538	64
26	Idaho	$75,270	$47,000	1,716,943	108
27	Louisiana	$79,369	$49,000	4,684,333	118
28	North Dakota	$70,089	$47,000	755,393	86
29	Massachusetts	$72,353	$51,000	6,859,819	1,348
30	South Carolina	$74,409	$47,000	5,024,369	273
31	Georgia	$75,678	$47,000	10,429,379	478
32	Arizona	$74,898	$48,000	7,016,270	324
33	Rhode Island	$69,461	$49,000	1,059,639	97
34	Delaware	$67,208	$46,000	961,939	161
35	Wyoming	$67,768	$43,000	579,315	46
36	Wisconsin	$67,951	$46,000	5,795,483	434
37	Missouri	$69,235	$45,000	6,113,532	427
38	Tennessee	$66,812	$43,000	6,715,984	300
39	Nebraska	$68,593	$45,000	1,920,076	106
40	Maryland	$60,408	$41,000	6,052,177	893
41	Mississippi	$69,296	$43,000	2,984,100	61
42	Alaska	$66,268	$48,000	739,795	55
43	Alabama	$68,343	$42,000	4,874,747	179
44	Minnesota	$66,880	$45,000	5,576,606	425
45	Kentucky	$65,624	$43,000	4,454,189	166
46	Florida	$65,280	$39,000	20,984,400	759
47	Oklahoma	$66,427	$42,000	3,930,864	83
48	Michigan	$60,940	$41,000	9,962,311	419
49	Texas	$58,893	$36,000	28,304,596	1,202
50	District of Columbia	$66,132	$45,000	693,972	60
51	West Virginia	$56,138	$37,000	1,815,857	68

Highest paying states for materials scientists

Rank	State	Avg. Materials Scientist Salary
1	Connecticut	$96,858
2	New Hampshire	$96,485
3	New Mexico	$86,597
4	Oregon	$87,703
5	California	$98,390
6	Nevada	$109,501
7	Washington	$91,747
8	Virginia	$84,598
9	North Carolina	$80,144
10	Maine	$86,082
11	Utah	$83,136
12	Montana	$82,713
13	Indiana	$82,589
14	Illinois	$81,663
15	South Dakota	$77,048
16	Pennsylvania	$77,580
17	Colorado	$84,290
18	New Jersey	$79,810
19	Ohio	$79,291
20	Iowa	$79,191
21	Vermont	$76,964
22	Kansas	$78,534
23	New York	$77,259
24	Arkansas	$78,331
25	Hawaii	$85,149
26	Idaho	$75,270
27	Louisiana	$79,369
28	North Dakota	$70,089
29	Massachusetts	$72,353
30	South Carolina	$74,409
31	Georgia	$75,678
32	Arizona	$74,898
33	Rhode Island	$69,461
34	Delaware	$67,208
35	Wyoming	$67,768
36	Wisconsin	$67,951
37	Missouri	$69,235
38	Tennessee	$66,812
39	Nebraska	$68,593
40	Maryland	$60,408
41	Mississippi	$69,296
42	Alaska	$66,268
43	Alabama	$68,343
44	Minnesota	$66,880
45	Kentucky	$65,624
46	Florida	$65,280
47	Oklahoma	$66,427
48	Michigan	$60,940
49	Texas	$58,893
50	District of Columbia	$66,132
51	West Virginia	$56,138

Expert opinions on the best states for materials scientists

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for materials scientists to find work opportunities?
Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.
Chief People Scientist, Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse
Not sure if this question meant geographic locations or industries. I will assume it means geographic areas. Both government and the health care industries will continue to grow, along with a decline in traditional manufacturing, so this will increase jobs around Washington, DC, state capitals, and large regional medical centers. It is harder to predict the impact of COVID and remote work on our cities, especially those located in high housing cost areas and on the coasts. Nevertheless, the movement to remote work and small education continues to expand, making it more and more accurate that choosing where to live will depend upon personal preferences. Thus, location will become less of a factor in work decisions and be driven more by family and leisure choices. One exception might be the aging of the baby boomers. If we see more and more Villages created, then those communities for older individuals will need service staff living in the area to provide personalized medical care, along with a range of recreational and entertainment options.

Materials scientist best states FAQs

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Best states for Materials Scientists

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total materials scientist jobs:	306
Average annual salary:	$96,858
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$67,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$138,000
Location Quotient:	1.19

Best states for a materials scientist

10 best states for materials scientists in 2025

1. Connecticut

2. New Hampshire

3. New Mexico

4. Oregon

5. California

6. Nevada

7. Washington

8. Virginia

9. North Carolina

10. Maine