Materials Engineers pay range in Riverside
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $67,230 a year or less, while the top 10% make $137,840 or more. The middle half of materials engineers in Riverside earn between $82,860 and $124,660.
- $67K10th
- $83K25th
- $109KMedian
- $125K75th
- $138K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $104,740 | $8,728 | $50.36 |
| Median | $109,100 | $9,092 | $52.45 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $82,860 | $6,905 | $39.84 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $124,660 | $10,388 | $59.93 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Materials Engineers salary after taxes in Riverside
On the average salary of $104,740, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $76,866 a year, or $6,405 a month and $2,956 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Riverside a good place for materials engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $104,740 buys what about $98,401 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 5.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Materials Engineers salary in other California cities
Riverside ranks 8th of 8 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($156,740).
- San Jose$156,740
- Bakersfield$135,510
- San Francisco$133,770
- Los Angeles$127,780
- Sacramento$122,450
- Oxnard$120,320
- San Diego$117,680
- Riverside$104,740
Highest-paying cities for materials engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($156,740).
- San Jose, CA$156,740
- Seattle, WA$153,780
- Washington, DC$145,070
- Boulder, CO$143,470
- Houston, TX$138,820
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Materials Engineers salary in Riverside: questions
How much do materials engineers make an hour in Riverside?
$50.36 an hour on average, and $52.45 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level materials engineers salary in Riverside?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $67,230 a year and the 25th percentile is $82,860, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the materials engineers take-home pay in Riverside?
About $76,866 a year ($6,405 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $104,740. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do materials engineers earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?
The average here is 15% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($122,532).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-2131; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.36, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.36).
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