Prevailing Wage for Materials Engineers
Prevailing wage floors for Materials Engineers are set by DOL under the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey and vary significantly by location and experience level. Whether your offer is for a Metallurgical Engineer, a Materials Development Engineer, or an Extrusion Engineer, DOL assigns four wage levels that determine the minimum a sponsoring employer must pay. City matters as much as title.
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Entry-level position requiring a degree but minimal professional experience in materials science or engineering. Work is closely supervised, involves routine tasks, and does not yet require independent judgment on materials selection, testing protocols, or process development.
Qualified professional with some independent experience applying materials engineering principles. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Materials Engineers, covering mid-career roles involving materials characterization, failure analysis, or process improvement with moderate supervision.
Experienced engineer with a strong track record in materials development, metallurgy, or composites applications. Works largely independently, may lead projects or small teams, and applies specialized knowledge to complex design or manufacturing challenges.
Fully competent senior engineer or technical lead setting direction in materials research, process engineering, or specialty materials development. Exercises broad independent judgment and may supervise other engineers or direct cross-functional technical programs.
Prevailing Wage for Materials Engineers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Materials Engineers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for title aliasing on LCAs
Titles like Metallurgist, Welding Engineer, and Ceramic Engineer all map to SOC 17-2131. If your employer files an LCA under a different SOC, such as a general mechanical engineer code, the prevailing wage floor applied may be lower than what DOL sets for Materials Engineers specifically.
Account for equity exclusions in aerospace and defense roles
Employers in defense-heavy metros like Lexington Park, MD and Kennewick, WA often structure compensation with signing bonuses or RSUs. DOL's prevailing wage calculation uses base salary only, so equity and one-time payments do not count toward clearing the floor.
Factor in the regional spread before negotiating
The prevailing wage for Materials Engineers in San Jose runs nearly double that in Saginaw, MI at every level. DOL assigns wages to the worksite location on the LCA, not your home address, so remote arrangements with an out-of-state worksite on file change your floor.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with Materials Engineers history
Employers in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, and aerospace sponsor Materials Engineers at very different rates. Migrate Mate shows which companies have a documented history of sponsoring this role, helping you prioritize outreach to proven sponsors rather than guessing from job postings.
Jobs for Materials Engineers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Materials EngineersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 17-2131.00 alongside Materials Engineers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Extrusion Engineer Prevailing Wage
Extrusion Engineer Prevailing Wage
Extrusion Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2131.00 (Materials Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Materials Development Engineer Prevailing Wage
Materials Development Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Materials Development Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2131.00 (Materials Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Materials Research Engineer Prevailing Wage
Materials Research Engineer Prevailing Wage
Materials Research Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2131.00 (Materials Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Metallurgical Engineer Prevailing Wage
Metallurgical Engineer Prevailing Wage
Metallurgical Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2131.00 (Materials Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Metallurgist Prevailing Wage
Metallurgist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Metallurgist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2131.00 (Materials Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Research Engineer Prevailing Wage
Research Engineer Prevailing Wage
Research Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2131.00 (Materials Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Test Engineer Prevailing Wage
Test Engineer Prevailing Wage
Test Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2131.00 (Materials Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Materials Engineers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 17-2131, DOL computes four wage levels based on the statistical distribution of wages reported by employers in each metropolitan area. Employers filing an LCA with OFLC must pay at least the wage DOL assigns for the applicable level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect experience and responsibility. Level 1 covers entry-level roles with close supervision, Level 2 covers qualified professionals working with some independence, Level 3 covers experienced engineers leading projects, and Level 4 covers senior or lead roles with broad authority. The level on your LCA should match the actual duties in your offer. If the job description reflects L3 responsibilities but the LCA is filed at L1, that is a flag worth raising.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Materials Engineers role vary so much by city?
DOL derives wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions, not national averages. An employer must use the wage for the worksite address listed on the LCA, not the company headquarters. In metros with dense semiconductor or aerospace employers competing for materials talent, like San Jose or Seattle, survey wages are pulled higher than in smaller industrial markets.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA certified by OFLC attests that the employer will pay at least the prevailing wage. If the offered salary falls short, OFLC can find the LCA to be in violation and USCIS may deny or revoke the underlying H-1B or PERM petition. The employer also exposes itself to DOL back-wage liability. A shortfall is not a negotiating tactic; it is a compliance failure that can void the sponsorship.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific Materials Engineers location?
The OFLC Wage Search tool lets you enter a job title, SOC code, and metropolitan area to retrieve the current four-level prevailing wage. Use SOC code 17-2131 and the metro containing your worksite address. For broader context on wage ranges across employers who have sponsored this role, Migrate Mate shows historical sponsorship records filtered by role and location, which helps you compare real offer data against the DOL floor.
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