Materials Scientists pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $134,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $300,330 or more. The middle half of materials scientists in San Francisco earn between $166,060 and $300,120.
- $135K10th
- $166K25th
- $232KMedian
- $300K75th
- $300K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $225,960 | $18,830 | $108.63 |
| Median | $231,710 | $19,309 | $111.40 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $166,060 | $13,838 | $79.84 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $300,120 | $25,010 | $144.29 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Materials Scientists salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $225,960, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $150,477 a year, or $12,540 a month and $5,788 every two weeks. Taxes take 33% 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 San Francisco a good place for materials scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $225,960 buys what about $195,445 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.1 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 5.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Materials Scientists salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 1st of 5 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- 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 San Francisco: questions
How much do materials scientists make an hour in San Francisco?
$108.63 an hour on average, and $111.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level materials scientists salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $134,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $166,060, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the materials scientists take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $150,477 a year ($12,540 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $225,960. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do materials scientists earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 69% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- 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 2.97, this job is 3.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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