Materials Engineers
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.
- Median pay
- $112,860
- Doing it now
- 23,800
- By 2035
- Up 7.5%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
1,300 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
- Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
- Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists.
- Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
- Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
- Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Materials EngineeringSee 65 colleges that teach it
- Metallurgical EngineeringSee 10 colleges that teach it
- Polymer/Plastics EngineeringSee 10 colleges that teach it
- Ceramic Sciences and EngineeringSee 5 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Analytical and curious
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $112,860 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.