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Senior materials scientist salary
Average senior materials scientist salary
$102,039
Understanding the Senior Materials Scientist Salary
A Senior Materials Scientist typically earns about $102,039 annually, which translates to approximately $49 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, senior materials scientists in certain states and metropolitan areas may command higher salaries due to demand and cost of living considerations.
Where to Earn More
Senior materials scientists can earn higher wages in states like California, Texas, and Massachusetts. Major cities such as San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle also offer lucrative opportunities. Additionally, positions in industries like pharmaceuticals and technology tend to provide higher compensation packages. As you advance in your career, ongoing education and specialization in materials science can further enhance your earning potential and job prospects.
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Where can a Senior Materials Scientist earn more?
Average senior materials scientist salary by state
The average senior materials scientist salary in Nevada, Connecticut, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior materials scientist salary states are Florida, Maryland, and Texas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior materials scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $113,816 | $54.72 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $116,515 | $56.02 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $107,679 | $51.77 |
| 4 | Virginia | $105,987 | $50.96 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $101,569 | $48.83 |
| 6 | Nevada | $123,736 | $59.49 |
| 7 | Washington | $104,886 | $50.43 |
| 8 | Indiana | $101,323 | $48.71 |
| 9 | Maine | $100,299 | $48.22 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $93,888 | $45.14 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $95,109 | $45.73 |
| 12 | Illinois | $98,875 | $47.54 |
| 13 | Oregon | $100,058 | $48.10 |
| 14 | Colorado | $101,683 | $48.89 |
| 15 | Kansas | $98,153 | $47.19 |
| 16 | Montana | $95,360 | $45.85 |
| 17 | Ohio | $96,884 | $46.58 |
| 18 | Utah | $94,588 | $45.48 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $98,785 | $47.49 |
| 20 | California | $106,366 | $51.14 |
| 21 | New York | $93,853 | $45.12 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $99,053 | $47.62 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $94,624 | $45.49 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $92,740 | $44.59 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $94,653 | $45.51 |
| 26 | Iowa | $95,952 | $46.13 |
| 27 | Georgia | $96,602 | $46.44 |
| 28 | Vermont | $89,875 | $43.21 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $84,216 | $40.49 |
| 30 | Arizona | $89,415 | $42.99 |
| 31 | Delaware | $83,088 | $39.95 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $85,077 | $40.90 |
| 33 | Missouri | $86,628 | $41.65 |
| 34 | Idaho | $85,826 | $41.26 |
| 35 | Alabama | $87,008 | $41.83 |
| 36 | Alaska | $85,061 | $40.89 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $87,703 | $42.16 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $83,193 | $40.00 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $80,671 | $38.78 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $81,343 | $39.11 |
| 41 | Maryland | $74,959 | $36.04 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $83,753 | $40.27 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $82,712 | $39.77 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $80,436 | $38.67 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $83,488 | $40.14 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $62,758 | $30.17 |
| 47 | Florida | $79,819 | $38.37 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $82,290 | $39.56 |
| 49 | Texas | $74,485 | $35.81 |
| 50 | Michigan | $72,410 | $34.81 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $69,921 | $33.62 |
Highest paying cities for senior materials scientists
The highest-paying cities for senior materials scientists are Ridgefield, CT, Mountain View, CA, and West Lafayette, IN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ridgefield, CT | $116,808 | $56.16 |
| 2 | Mountain View, CA | $111,890 | $53.79 |
| 3 | West Lafayette, IN | $100,774 | $48.45 |
| 4 | Downers Grove, IL | $98,906 | $47.55 |
| 5 | Akron, OH | $97,683 | $46.96 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $96,011 | $46.16 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $94,692 | $45.52 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $94,233 | $45.30 |
| 9 | Franklin, TN | $85,128 | $40.93 |
| 10 | Milwaukee, WI | $81,587 | $39.22 |
| 11 | Orlando, FL | $80,868 | $38.88 |
| 12 | Houston, TX | $73,001 | $35.10 |
Senior materials scientist salary details
A senior materials scientist's salary ranges from $66,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $156,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior materials scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $156,000 | $13,000 | $75 |
| 75th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| Average | $102,039 | $8,503 | $49 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
Highest paying senior materials scientist jobs
The highest paying types of senior materials scientists are accelerator systems director, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Materials Scientist | $84,459 | $7,038 | $40.61 | 46,795 |
Top companies hiring senior materials scientists now:
Which companies pay senior materials scientists the most?
Senior materials scientist salaries at ASML Holding and Halliburton are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior materials scientist salary at companies like Entegris and Maxwell Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASML Holding | $124,335 | $59.78 |
| 2 | Halliburton | $120,975 | $58.16 |
| 3 | Entegris | $115,023 | $55.30 |
| 4 | Maxwell Technologies | $111,499 | $53.61 |
| 5 | Teva Pharmaceuticals | $111,403 | $53.56 |
| 6 | Formlabs | $111,335 | $53.53 |
| 7 | Boehringer Ingelheim | $111,220 | $53.47 |
| 8 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $110,318 | $53.04 |
| 9 | Cymer | $108,586 | $52.20 |
| 10 | E Ink | $108,182 | $52.01 |
| 11 | Argonne National Laboratory | $107,506 | $51.69 |
| 12 | Mars | $107,074 | $51.48 |
| 13 | Object Management Group | $101,767 | $48.93 |
| 14 | Bridgestone | $100,533 | $48.33 |
| 15 | Goodyear | $100,116 | $48.13 |
| 16 | Eurofins | $100,023 | $48.09 |
| 17 | Align Technology | $99,969 | $48.06 |
| 18 | ConvaTec | $99,450 | $47.81 |
| 19 | Material ConneXion | $88,739 | $42.66 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Materials Scientist salary by industry
The average senior materials scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average senior materials scientist salary in the technology industry is $112,056, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior materials scientist salary in the finance industry is $111,596.
- Senior materials scientists in the professional industry earn an average salary of $84,161, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior materials scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $112,056 | $53.87 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $111,596 | $53.65 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $106,284 | $51.10 |
| 4 | Health Care | $105,199 | $50.58 |
| 5 | Professional | $84,161 | $40.46 |
High paying senior materials scientist jobs
Senior materials scientist salary trends
The average senior materials scientist salary has risen by $15,245 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior materials scientist earned $86,794 annually, but today, they earn $102,039 a year. That works out to a 0% change in pay for senior materials scientists over the last decade.
Compare senior materials scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior materials scientist salary over time
Compare senior materials scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior materials scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $102,000 | $49.06 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $99,300 | $47.75 | -3.1% |
| 2023 | $102,000 | $49.23 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | $102,000 | $49.09 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | $102,000 | $49.04 | +8.5% |
Recently added senior materials scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3M | Senior Materials Scientist | Maplewood, MN | 06/20/2025 | $122,292 |
| The Aerospace Corporation | Senior Scientist-Materials Scientist | El Segundo, CA | 04/18/2025 | $151,300 |
| 3M Companies | Senior Materials Scientist | Maplewood, MN | 04/15/2025 | $122,292 |
| Vaxcyte | SR. Scientist, Analytical Development, Raw Materials | San Carlos, CA | 02/18/2025 | $152,000 |
| Monosol LLC | Senior Material Scientist | Chicago, IL | 02/17/2025 | $83,767 |
| Vaxcyte, Inc. | SR. Scientist, Analytical Development for Raw Materials | San Carlos, CA | 02/17/2025 | $152,000 |
| Align Technology, Inc. | SR. Material Scientist | San Jose, CA | 12/18/2024 | $162,539 |
| Align Technology, Inc. | SR. Material Scientist | San Jose, CA | 12/11/2024 | $162,539 |
| Department of Defense | Senior Scientist Digital Advanced Materials | Washington, DC | 12/10/2024 | $163,956 |
| Global Jupiter | Senior Scientist-Materials Characterization Tem/Fib | New York, NY | 10/23/2024 | $111,200 |
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