Materials Scientists pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,870 a year or less, while the top 10% make $233,890 or more. The middle half of materials scientists in Los Angeles earn between $119,510 and $182,460.
- $96K10th
- $120K25th
- $150KMedian
- $182K75th
- $234K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $154,850 | $12,904 | $74.45 |
| Median | $149,980 | $12,498 | $72.11 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $119,510 | $9,959 | $57.46 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $182,460 | $15,205 | $87.72 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Materials Scientists salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $154,850, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $106,797 a year, or $8,900 a month and $4,108 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% 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 Los Angeles a good place for materials scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $154,850 buys what about $136,352 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 6.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Materials Scientists salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 3rd of 5 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($225,960).
- San Francisco$225,960
- San Jose$225,780
- Los Angeles$154,850
- Riverside$129,240
- San Diego$102,920
Highest-paying cities for materials scientists
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($225,960).
- San Francisco, CA$225,960
- San Jose, CA$225,780
- Los Angeles, CA$154,850
- Portland, OR$151,750
- Worcester, MA$150,530
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Materials Scientists salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do materials scientists make an hour in Los Angeles?
$74.45 an hour on average, and $72.11 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level materials scientists salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,870 a year and the 25th percentile is $119,510, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the materials scientists take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $106,797 a year ($8,900 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $154,850. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do materials scientists earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 16% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($133,519).
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 19-2032; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.5%.
- 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 0.59, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.59).
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