Materials engineer salary
Space employers offer materials engineers and chemists a median of $150k a year, and the middle half of their postings sits at $126k–$178k. That comes from 45 jobs at 18 employers whose own postings name a salary.
- 25th percentile$125,900/hr
- Median (50th)$150,000/hr
- 75th percentile$177,500/hr
- Distinct posted rates45
- Jobs stating an hourly rate45
- Employers18
The median is the middle of the 45 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $125,900–$177,500 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- 25th percentile$125,900/hr
- Median (50th)$150,000/hr
- 75th percentile$177,500/hr
- Distinct posted rates45
- Jobs stating an hourly rate45
- Employers18
The median is the middle of the 45 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $125,900–$177,500 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- Median posted pay, a year$150,000
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- The same per hour, full time$72.12/hr
Every figure here is a year's pay: a job that posts pay counts at 2,080 hours (40 a week for 52 weeks). Rounded to the nearest $100.
- Relativity Space8 jobs
- SpaceX6 jobs
- Lockheed Martin6 jobs
- Blue Origin4 jobs
- Sierra Space3 jobs
- United Launch Alliance3 jobs
- Northrop Grumman3 jobs
- L3Harris2 jobs
- Inversion Space1 job
- Virgin Galactic1 job
Jobs stating pay, the employers with the most first: 37 at the 10 shown and 8 at 8 other employers, 45 in all.
The jobs themselves: Materials engineer jobs
What materials engineers and chemists are paid
How many postings fall in each salary step, a range counted at its midpoint; the darker bars are the middle half of what employers offer.
Median $150k a year. Middle half $126k to $178k. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs
Middle half of 45 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $150k. 56% of the 80 open materials engineer jobs state pay.
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Materials engineer pay by employer
What each employer posts for materials engineers and chemists, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first. An employer with at least 5 such jobs has a page of its own with every range it posts.
Median of each employer's own jobs (a range at its midpoint), and the lowest and highest rate it posts. Jobs stating pay link to the employer's open jobs.
Materials engineer pay by state
States where at least 8 open jobs from 3 employers state pay, highest median first. Each opens the state's own page, with its towns and employers.
| State | Median posted | Middle half | BLS median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $153k | $127k–$170k | n/a | 26 |
| Colorado | $149k | $128k–$178k | n/a | 8 |
Median and middle half of employers' rates in the state. BLS medians are for the occupation's main SOC code in the state (latest release).
Best-paid open materials engineer jobs
The current postings with the highest stated salaries, no more than two per employer.
$175,000–$244,000/yr
$160,544–$244,948/yr
$167,096–$229,757/yr
$145,806–$243,009/yr
$129,150–$252,105/yr
$150,000–$226,000/yr- $150,000–$226,000/yr
$173,000–$197,000/yr
$129,000–$239,600/yr
$141,500–$224,000/yr- $151,905–$208,870/yr
$135,000–$220,000/yr
Every open job: Materials engineer jobs
Questions about materials engineer pay in space
What do space companies pay materials engineers and chemists?
Postings that state a salary put the median at $150k a year and the middle half at $126k–$178k, across 45 postings from 18 employers (one employer's repeated posting counted once). Full time, the median is about $72.12/hr an hour.
Which space companies pay materials engineers and chemists the most?
Of the employers that state a salary on at least 5 postings: Relativity Space ($155k), SpaceX ($131k) and Lockheed Martin ($124k). The employer table covers the 18 with the most postings that state pay.
Where do these figures come from?
From the salaries in space companies' own postings, read every night: 45 of 80 current materials engineer postings (56%) state one. Nothing is estimated for a posting without pay, "up to" ceilings are set aside, and an hourly rate counts as 2,080 hours.
Sources and method
- SpaceJobs.Now: salaries stated in space companies' own postings, read every night, published 7 Nov 2026
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Materials engineer salary. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/salaries/materials-engineers