How much do Materials Scientists make in Los Angeles compared to the national average?

The national median Materials Scientist salary is $98,305. In Los Angeles, COL adjustments bring the median to $116,000.

How do I negotiate a Materials Scientist salary in Los Angeles?

Materials Scientists in Los Angeles earn $90,000 to $151,000. Anchor your ask near the 75th percentile to land at the median.

Materials Scientist.

Los Angeles.

$116,000

median salary, 18% above the national average

$90,000 to $151,000. Updated for 2026.

Get your playbook

The numbers.

Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.

The median Materials Scientist salary in Los Angeles is $116,000, 18% above the national average. Entry level starts near $90,000. Experienced professionals push past $151,000. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. That spread is your negotiation window.

Salary range

25th Percentile

$90,000

per year

Median

$116,000

per year

75th Percentile

$151,000

per year

Tap to place your salary

$90,000$151,000

How Los Angeles compares

Los Angeles, CA

$116,000

Cost of living: 18% above average

National Average

$98,000

Los Angeles is $18,000 above

What you should know

Before you negotiate a Materials Scientist offer in Los Angeles, understand the terrain. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. Industry sector and degree level create the widest pay gaps. PhD holders in semiconductor, battery, or advanced composites research earn 25 to 40% more than those with bachelor's degrees. National lab and defense roles add clearance premiums. Expertise in characterization techniques like electron microscopy and spectroscopy boosts marketability.

Entry-level materials scientists start at $76,000 to $88,000 with a master's degree. Senior scientists earn $98,000 to $128,000 after five to eight years. Research directors and principal scientists reach $135,000 to $180,000, with fellows at top labs exceeding $200,000. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.

Base salary is not the full picture. Corporate R&D labs offer bonuses of 8 to 15% and patent bonuses of $2,000 to $5,000 per filing. National labs provide federal benefits, pension contributions, and relocation packages. Semiconductor firms add equity grants worth $10,000 to $35,000 annually. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $116,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for Materials Scientists in Los Angeles runs from $90,000 to $151,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

Top industries in Los Angeles

Entertainment & MediaAerospace & DefenseTechnologyHealthcareFashion

Negotiating in Los Angeles

Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers.

Common questions.

For R&D leadership and principal scientist positions, a PhD is typically required and adds $20,000 to $40,000 over master's holders. Industry roles in quality or process engineering are accessible with a master's but cap lower.

Battery materials, semiconductor thin films, and advanced polymer composites are the highest-demand specializations. The energy transition and chip manufacturing expansion are driving 10 to 15% annual salary growth in these niches.

The national median for a Materials Scientist is $98,305. In Los Angeles, cost of living adjustments push the median to $116,000. That premium reflects Los Angeles's higher housing, transportation, and everyday costs.

Lead with data: Materials Scientists in Los Angeles earn $90,000 to $151,000, so anchoring your ask near $151,000 gives room to land at the median. Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. Never accept the first number without a conversation.

California's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When comparing offers across states, your take home pay matters more than the number on the offer letter. A lower salary in a no income tax state can net more than a higher one elsewhere.