Occupational Employment and Wages, 2002

19-2032 Materials Scientists

Research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and manmade materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications. Include glass scientists, ceramic scientists, metallurgical scientists, and polymer scientists.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
7,090 4.4 % $32.33 $67,240 1.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.10 $22.25 $31.05 $41.46 $51.64
Annual Wage (2) $33,480 $46,280 $64,590 $86,240 $107,400

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Scientific research and development services 1,330 $36.05 $74,990 1 8
Architectural and engineering services 1,040 $26.79 $55,730 2 24
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing 420 $30.27 $62,960 3 19
Management of companies and enterprises 410 $37.28 $77,540 4 6
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing 360 $28.30 $58,870 5 22

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Other nonferrous metal production 110 $44.43 $92,410 13 1
Federal government (OES designation) 100 $43.76 $91,020 14 2
Industrial machinery manufacturing 90 $43.02 $89,480 15 3
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing 40 $41.47 $86,250 22 4
Resin, rubber, and artificial fibers mfg. 190 $38.61 $80,310 8 5

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Massachusetts 410 $37.86 $78,750 0.013% 40
Wisconsin 310 $27.75 $57,720 0.012% 76
Pennsylvania 530 $28.46 $59,190 0.010% 95
New Jersey 390 $39.13 $81,390 0.010% 44
Georgia 290 $19.73 $41,030 0.008% 215

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Colorado (6) $42.69 $88,790 (6) 19
Maryland 60 $42.65 $88,710 0.002% 20
New Jersey 390 $39.13 $81,390 0.010% 44
Massachusetts 410 $37.86 $78,750 0.013% 40
New York 420 $37.10 $77,170 0.005% 59

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Lowell, MA-NH PMSA 40 $37.46 $77,910 0.032%
Rochester, NY MSA 130 $38.50 $80,080 0.025%
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ PMSA 150 $39.21 $81,550 0.024%
Huntsville, AL MSA 40 $25.47 $52,970 0.023%
Boston, MA-NH PMSA 280 $38.16 $79,360 0.015%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Bergen-Passaic, NJ PMSA 80 $41.62 $86,570 0.013%
Denver, CO PMSA (6) $41.19 $85,680 (6)
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ PMSA 150 $39.21 $81,550 0.024%
Rochester, NY MSA 130 $38.50 $80,080 0.025%
Boston, MA-NH PMSA 280 $38.16 $79,360 0.015%

About 2002 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

To see profiles of other occupations, select from the major groups below:

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Data for detailed occupations does not sum to the totals because the totals include data for occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(6) Estimates not released.

All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

2002 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2002 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2002 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

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Download 2002 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: November 26, 2003