Materials Scientists pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $145,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $308,680 or more. The middle half of materials scientists in San Jose earn between $165,930 and $307,610.
- $145K10th
- $166K25th
- $232KMedian
- $308K75th
- $309K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $225,780 | $18,815 | $108.55 |
| Median | $231,920 | $19,327 | $111.50 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $165,930 | $13,828 | $79.77 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $307,610 | $25,634 | $147.89 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Materials Scientists salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $225,780, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $150,376 a year, or $12,531 a month and $5,784 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 Jose a good place for materials scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $225,780 buys what about $204,468 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Materials Scientists salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 2nd 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 San Jose: questions
How much do materials scientists make an hour in San Jose?
$108.55 an hour on average, and $111.50 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level materials scientists salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $145,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $165,930, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the materials scientists take-home pay in San Jose?
About $150,376 a year ($12,531 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $225,780. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do materials scientists earn more in San Jose 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 Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.9%.
- 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 2.95, this job is 3.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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