How much do Materials Scientists make in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

Percentile spread

For Materials Scientists, the published 10th percentile is $90,420 and the 90th percentile is $176,870. The difference is $86,450, which is 65.2% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $107,260 to the 75th at $168,710, covers $61,450.

The mean annual wage is $138,310, which sits above the median of $132,650. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY median is 12.6% higher than the national median of $117,790 for Materials Scientists. In 2024 national prices the local median is $133,228, which is 13.1% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 0.7% higher than the New York median of $131,740.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY is 99.566, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $132,650 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Materials Scientists at $133,228 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

5 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Materials Scientists. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ranks 2nd of 6 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Worcester, MA is 107 miles away, with a median of $151,070 and employment of 80. That median is 13.9% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $147,352, against $133,228 here.
• New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is 142 miles away, with a median of $120,650 and employment of 560. That median is 9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $107,184, against $133,228 here.
• Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is 150 miles away, with a median of $132,600 and employment of 700. That median is about the same as the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $122,476, against $133,228 here.

Employment share

Materials Scientists accounts for 0.03% of wage-and-salary employment in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (150 of 449,410). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (8,470 of 155,495,730). The local share is 6.13 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.