Updated
PERM occupation, SOC 17-2131.00, #68 of 1,410 by filings
Materials Engineers
- Biggest sponsor
- Intel Corporation · 47% of its filings
- Busiest state
- OR · 33% of its filings
- Major group
- Architecture and engineering · SOC 17
Weighing an offer for this job?
Where it falls among certified offers, and the four wage levels DOL sets for it by area.
Median wage
$110,011
all PERM $103,272
Filings
895
#68 of 1,410
Approval
98.9%
field 96.8%
Median days
485
8 slower than the field
What it pays
Where its median offer sits among every occupation, then the whole ladder of certified offers by year and by state.
Median offered wage
$110,011above 74%
Approval rate
98.9%ahead of 82%
Median days to decision
485 daysahead of 20%
Each bar counts occupations at that value. More
- 5th to 95th
- 25th to 75th
- Median
- 10th and 90th
FY2024
$115,482 median · 112 certified cases
FY2025
$110,000 median · 410 certified cases
FY2026
$110,582 median · 321 certified cases
- 10th
- $86,008
- -4.4% since FY2024
- Median
- $110,582
- -4.2% since FY2024
- 90th
- $141,075
- +16.6% since FY2024
- 95th
- $151,000
- +16.6% since FY2024
These years are not measuring the same group of filings. The count moves by 3.7 times between the largest year and the smallest, so a change in the ladder is at least partly a change in which employers filed rather than a change in what the work pays. Read the shape, not the difference.
| Fiscal year | Cases | 5th | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 112 | $82,867 | $90,000 | $96,013 | $115,482 | $115,482 | $120,966 | $129,478 |
| FY2025 | 410 | $79,787 | $86,008 | $96,013 | $110,000 | $122,500 | $140,648 | $154,079 |
| FY2026 | 321 | $76,877 | $86,008 | $89,015 | $110,582 | $119,543 | $141,075 | $151,000 |
A median answers whether pay moved. More
Who files it
The sponsors and firms with the most PERM filings under this code, the places the work sits, and who the workers were.
Sponsors filing it
- Intel Corporation 425 filings · 100.0% approved
- Applied Materials, Inc 46 filings · 100.0% approved
- Lam Research Corporation 31 filings
- TSMC Arizona Corporation 28 filings
- ASM AMERICA INC. 23 filings
- SAMSUNG AUSTIN SEMICONDUCTOR, L.L.C. 18 filings
How this is counted
The employers with the most applications under this code. 571 of 895 filings, 64% of the total.
Firms filing it
- Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP 495 filings · 100.0% approved
- Tafapolsky & Smith LLP 50 filings · 100.0% approved
- Vialto Partners LLP 44 filings · 100.0% approved
- Corporate Immigration Partners, P.C. 30 filings · 100.0% approved
- Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. 29 filings
- Berry Appleman & Leiden 17 filings
How this is counted
The law firms named on the most applications under this code. 665 of 895 filings, 74% of the total.
Where the jobs are
- Oregon 299
- California 180
- Arizona 138
- New Mexico 46
- Texas 39
- Michigan 21
How this is counted
The worksite state on the application, which is where the job is and not where the company is headquartered. Volume by state across everyone is on the state map. These 6 states cover 723 of 895 filings.
Where the work is
- Hillsboro, OR 278
- Santa Clara, CA 76
- Chandler, AZ 63
- Phoenix, AZ 53
- Rio Rancho, NM 45
- Fremont, CA 30
How this is counted
The worksite city on the application, which is where the job is. These 6 cities cover 545 of 895 filings.
- Every sponsor that files it, by state, approval rate, offered wage and time to a decision
- Every filing for it, PERM, wage requests and H-1B, case by case
Newspapers it advertised in
- 224 cases
The Oregonian
- 117 cases
The Arizona Republic
- 66 cases
The Mercury News
- 43 cases
Albuquerque Journal
- 42 cases
San Jose Mercury News
- 32 cases
San Francisco Chronicle
How this is counted
The newspaper or professional journal named for each case's two print ads, one count per paper per case, however the filer spelled it.
Additional steps it used
- 758 cases
Job search websites
- 719 cases
Local or ethnic newspapers
- 436 cases
Employee referral programs
- 130 cases
The employer's website
- 114 cases
Trade or professional organizations
- 102 cases
Radio or TV ads
How this is counted
The steps a professional job needs beyond the job order and the ads, by the number of cases that name each.
How long before filing it began
- 0.1%
Under 30 days
- 0.0%
30 to 59 days
- 13%
60 to 89 days
- 22%
90 to 119 days
- 17%
120 to 149 days
- 48%
150 to 180 days
- 0.0%
Over 180 days
How this is counted
Days from the first recruitment step to the filing. 20 C.F.R. § 656.17(e) puts the job order and ads 30 to 180 days before filing.
Who filled these jobs, FY2016 to FY2023
From DOL's old form; the form in use since mid-2023 doesn't carry them. Top six of each.
Country of citizenship
- India 6
- France 1
- Rwanda 1
- Taiwan 1
- Vietnam 1
Worker's education
- Master's 7
- Doctorate 2
- Associate's 1
Visa held when filed
- H-1B 5
- F-1 3
- E-2 1
- L-1 1
Schools
- ACADEMIE DE LYON 1
- ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY 1
- NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY 1
- STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO 1
- TEXAS AM UNIVERSITY 1
- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY 1
Fields of study
- CHEMISTRY 2
- ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 2
- MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 2
- BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE 1
- NUCLEAR ENGINEERING 1
- POLYMER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 1
The job itself
What O*NET says the work is, what the market pays it by BLS's survey, its outlook, and DOL's wage levels year by year.
- United States22,770 jobs
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAHillsboro
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZChandler, Phoenix
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CASanta Clara
- Albuquerque, NMRio Rancho
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CAFremont
- middle half of pay (BLS)
- median
- 10th to 90th percentile
- DOL's Levels I to IV, left to right
- median PERM offer
| Area | BLS median | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $112,860 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $128,250 | $86,715 | $106,891 | $127,046 | $147,222 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $124,990 | $90,002 | $107,390 | $124,779 | $142,168 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $156,730 | $110,802 | $133,661 | $156,499 | $179,358 |
| Albuquerque, NM | — | $139,568 | $156,603 | $173,638 | $190,674 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $129,480 | $88,150 | $110,843 | $133,557 | $156,250 |
How these figures fit together
BLS surveys employers on what they pay everyone in a job; DOL builds its four levels from the same survey a year later (the July 2026 wage year uses BLS's May 2025 estimates). DOL publishes levels by area, not nationally, so the United States line has none. Levels are hourly in DOL's tables; here they're shown a year at 2,080 hours, as DOL computes them. The metros are the ones holding the most of this job's PERM filings, placed by Census's county files.
The block is the middle half of what employers report paying everyone in this job, citizen or not; the ticks under it are DOL's four prevailing wage levels for that metro, the floors a PERM or H-1B offer is held to. More
DOL's levels for this job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, year by year
Each July DOL resets the four levels from BLS's newest survey. A determination keeps the figures of the year it was issued in.
| Wage year | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $86,715 | $106,891 | $127,046 | $147,222 |
| 2025-26 | $92,019 | $112,715 | $133,432 | $154,128 |
| 2024-25 | $95,202 | $112,757 | $130,291 | $147,846 |
| 2023-24 | $86,029 | $103,334 | $120,640 | $137,946 |
| 2022-23 | $76,544 | $96,013 | $115,482 | $134,950 |
| 2021-22 | $70,325 | $84,635 | $98,925 | $113,235 |
What the job is
Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.
- Preparation
- Considerable Preparation Needed
- O*NET Job Zone 4
- DOL's education basis
- Bachelor's degree
- Wage year 2026-27, on DOL's Appendix A list
- Jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +7.5%
- About 1,300 openings a year (BLS)
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
- BLS
Bright Outlook O*NET OnLine lists this job for rapid growth.
The work, most important first
- Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
- Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
- Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace.
- Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
- Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
The education workers in it report
- 80%
Bachelor's Degree
- 8%
Doctoral Degree
Titles people use for it
Materials Research Engineer, Metallurgist, Process Engineer, Textile Engineer, Automotive Sheet Metal Engineer, Ceramic Engineer, Extrusion Engineer, Materials Development Engineer.
Related jobs: Materials Scientists, Chemical Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Nanosystems Engineers.
This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database and O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. PERM Tracker has modified some of this information (the shares are rounded and only the top tasks are shown); what changed. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Against other jobs
Where this sits in the ranking
Ranked 68 of 1,410 by volume: 67 filed at least as many filings, and 1,342 filed no more.
- Just above
- Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 905 filings
- Just below
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 892 filings
Other architecture and engineering roles
Occupations sharing this one's SOC major group, which is carried in the first two digits of the code. More
Occupations sharing this one's SOC major group, which is carried in the first two digits of the code. Wages inside a group still swing hard, because the group holds every seniority level and every metro.
- #65 Automotive Engineers 967 filings · 17 denied
- #61 Mechanical Engineers 1,004 filings · 20 denied
- #75 N/A 842 filings · 21 denied
- #81 Industrial Engineers 791 filings · 15 denied
- #50 Manufacturing Engineers 1,301 filings · 21 denied
- #86 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 747 filings · 19 denied
The same job on H-1B
11,005 certified H-1B labor condition applications for this occupation since FY2020, offering a median of $109,512 a year; the middle half ran $91,564 to $126,194. By state and year in the salary explorer.
Notes on these numbers
Reading the wage
A floor, not a salary survey: every level and metro mixed. DOL's four wage levels for this job, by area.
What the median is
The median wage employers committed to in federal filings for this occupation. It mixes every experience level and every metro, and it's a floor: the employer must offer at least the prevailing wage DOL determines for the occupation, level and county. Across all PERM filings the middle half of offered wages runs $45,178 to $141,357, so a figure inside that band is unremarkable whichever occupation it belongs to. The levels page reads DOL's OFLC wage search live.
What these numbers don't say
4 notes
- The code is the identity
- This one is SOC 17-2131.00. Two SOC codes can carry the same job title, so a title that looks duplicated on the ranking is two different occupations. Match on the code when you're checking a specific filing.
- A median isn’t an offer
- It's the middle of all 895 wages committed to for this occupation across the country, entry level and principal alike. The same role's medians swing hard by worksite, which the state map shows directly.
- Approval isn’t about the occupation
- The denial rate moves with what happened in the filing rather than with the job title, so nothing here is a property of Materials Engineers. The measured factors are on the denial risk page, published as separate rates.
- Nothing here is pending
- All 895 counted here carry a decision date, because every case in DOL's disclosure files does, so a case still waiting is in none of them. The largest filer of this occupation is Intel Corporation. Where the queue stands today is on the processing times page.
The window these figures cover: DOL's PERM disclosure files for fiscal years 2024 to 2026, through the third quarter of 2026, 373,939 decided cases. Nothing pending is counted here. How each figure is built
Weighing an offer?
Compare it against this median, then check the state map, where the same occupation's medians swing hard by worksite.
Setting one?
All 1,410 occupations sort together on the wages page, and denial rates show how outcome moves with the offered wage.
Filings newer than DOL's last published file can't be attributed to this occupation until DOL publishes them. The live list on the case search page carries them by employer.
Case data: DOL quarterly disclosure files (flag.dol.gov) · data through Jun 30, 2026 · quarterly
Employers and firms: Derived from DOL's disclosure files · data through Jun 30, 2026 · rebuilt with each quarterly load
O*NET occupation data: O*NET Database, USDOL/ETA (onetcenter.org) · data through Aug 16, 2026 · twice a year
BLS market pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (bls.gov) · data through May 31, 2025 · yearly, each spring
BLS employment projections: BLS Employment Projections (bls.gov) · data through Dec 31, 2025 · yearly, each autumn
DOL wage tables: DOL OFLC wage data downloads (flag.dol.gov) · data through Jul 1, 2026 · yearly, each july
What each source includes
Case data: Decided PERM cases only. A case still waiting isn't in here, so counts and durations describe finished cases.
Employers and firms: Employers, law firms and occupations ranked from decided cases only.
O*NET occupation data: What O*NET says each occupation is and takes: its description, tasks, Job Zone and the education workers report. A description of the job everywhere, not of any one employer's opening.
BLS market pay: What employers report paying everyone in each job, nationally, by state and by metro, from BLS's yearly survey (May of the year named). Citizens and immigrants alike; not PERM offers.
BLS employment projections: BLS's ten-year projection of each job's employment and yearly openings, and the entry education it calls typical. A projection, not a count.
DOL wage tables: The four prevailing wage levels DOL publishes for every job in every area, each wage year from 2021-22, as DOL's own tables print them. The floors an offer is held to, not what anyone was paid.
Cite this page
Waiting on a PERM case?
- When it'll likely be decided
- An email when DOL moves it