SOC 17-2131 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Materials Engineers — Indiana
Indiana · 3 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Indiana is $101,120 a year, trailing the national median of $112,860 by 10.4%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +5.7%
- Openings per year
- 1,500
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Indiana.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Indiana is $101,120 a year, trailing the national median of $112,860 by 10.4%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $77,690 and $127,230. The lowest tenth earn under $67,430, while the highest tenth earn more than $131,980.
The area has 570 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.2 of every thousand jobs. Indiana ranks number 28th out of 45 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Indianapolis records the highest median at $127,230. Of the 753 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 86th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $67,430 | −40.3% |
| 25th | $77,690 | −31.2% |
| Median (50th) | $101,120 | −10.4% |
| 75th | $127,230 | +12.7% |
| 90th | $131,980 | +16.9% |
| Mean | $103,160 | −8.6% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Indiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indianapolis | $127,230 | 160 | |
| 2 | Fort Wayne | $99,640 | 50 | |
| 3 | Lafayette | $85,130 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Indiana run 6.7% below the national average, so the median of $101,120 goes as far as $108,382 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$101,120as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$108,382US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $101,120 a year, 10.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $67,430 to $131,980 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 570 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 28th of 45 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Indianapolis, at $127,230.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Materials Engineers in Indiana?
The median annual wage is $101,120, or $48.62 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $112,860, so pay in Indiana is 10.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Indiana earns more than $131,980 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $67,430 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Indianapolis, at $127,230 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 570 jobs in this occupation in Indiana. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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