What do they do?
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.
Also known as:
Automotive Sheet Metal Engineer, Ceramic Engineer, Extrusion Engineer, Materials Development Engineer, Materials Engineer, Materials Research Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer, Metallurgist, Research Engineer, Test Engineer
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Ranks #33 in job growth rate110Job Openings
Ranks #3 in net job growth
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- Bachelor's degree (52%)
- Master's degree (17%)
- Some college, no degree (9%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (9%)
- Associate's degree (9%)
- High school diploma equivalent (4%)
- Less than high school diploma (1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Materials Engineers
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#1
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Degrees Granted
1,529
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Female Students
510
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Male Students
1,019
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Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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#2
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Degrees Granted
205
-
Female Students
177
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Male Students
28
-
Median Starting Salary
$64,763
-
-
#3
-
Degrees Granted
169
-
Female Students
33
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Male Students
136
-
Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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#4
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Degrees Granted
133
-
Female Students
45
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Male Students
88
-
Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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#5
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Degrees Granted
73
-
Female Students
32
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Male Students
41
-
Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
- Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
People in this career often do these activities:
- Conduct quantitative failure analyses of operational data.
- Direct quality control activities.
- Monitor the productivity or efficiency of industrial operations.
- Test characteristics of materials or structures.
- Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
- Prepare materials for processing.
- Determine operational methods.
- Direct design or development activities.
- Evaluate plans or specifications to determine technological or environmental implications.
- Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
- Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.
- Prepare detailed work plans.
- Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
- Direct industrial production activities.
- Resolve operational performance problems.
- Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
- Prepare proposal documents.
- Prepare operational reports.
- Prepare project budgets.
- Teach classes in area of specialization.
- Teach social science courses at the college level.
- Present research results to others.
- Create models of engineering designs or methods.
- Design industrial processing systems.
- Write articles, books or other original materials in area of expertise.
This page includes data from:
Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database
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
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
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