Side-by-side distribution
Materials Engineer
$155,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 48.4%
- Live roles
- 64
Mechanical Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.6%
- Live roles
- 1,212
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Materials & Processes Engineer
Senior Materials Engineer, Dielectrics
Senior Materials Engineer, Diagnostics
Senior Materials Engineer, Ceramic Fabrication
Staff Materials & Processes Engineer, Structural Composites
Materials Engineer
Materials Engineer
Research Engineer, Materials Science
Senior Materials Engineer (Metal 3D Printing)
Highest-paying jobs
Data Center Research & Development Engineer, Mechanical - Industrial Compute
Mechanical Design Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer, Fluid Systems
Mechanical Engineer (Contract)
Mechanical Engineer, Sensing
Mechanical Engineer-Federal
Senior Mechanical engineer
Lead Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design
Mechanical Design Engineer
Mechanical Engineer, Soft Goods Design
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 6 |
|
Helion
|
$200,000 | 5 |
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 5 |
|
Relativity Space
|
$155,000 | 3 |
|
Neuralink
|
$116,900 | 2 |
|
Archer
|
$232,500 | 1 |
| DE DeepMind | $171,500 | 1 |
|
Freeform
|
$162,500 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$168,250 | 58 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$128,692 | 29 |
|
Relativity Space
|
$165,000 | 20 |
|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 15 |
| DG DLR Group | $120,000 | 13 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$159,150 | 12 |
Figure
|
$185,000 | 11 |
Vast
|
$140,500 | 11 |
Materials Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $132,500 | 3 |
Mechanical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $182,000 | 16 |
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 53 |
| Seattle | $156,500 | 16 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 54 |
| Boston | $138,238 | 14 |
| London | $134,241 | 3 |
| New York | $131,000 | 27 |
| Denver | $120,462 | 8 |
| Chicago | $115,923 | 11 |
| Atlanta | $105,000 | 3 |
Materials Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Materials Engineer is $155,000 per year (typically $108,750–$170,750), versus $150,000 for Mechanical Engineer ($122,500–$172,500). That puts Materials Engineer about 3% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Materials Engineer and Mechanical Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.