Materials Engineers


Overview

Materials Engineers

Introduction

Materials engineers extract, process, create, design, and test materials—such as metals, ceramics, plastics, semiconductors, and combinations of these materials called composites—to create a wide variety of products, from computer parts to surf boards. Approximately 27,700 materials engineers are employed in the United States.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$92,390

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

Bachelors Degree|Masters Degree


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Experience

Internship


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Skills

Interpersonal|Mechanical/Manual Dexterity|Scientific


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Personality Traits

Creative|Enterprising|Technical

Earnings

In December 2019, Salary.com reported that the average annual salary for materials engineers with one to two years of experience was $68,670. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that materials engineers earned median salaries of $92,390 in May 2018. At the low end of the scale, 10 percent of materials engineers earned less than $57,110 annually. The highest paid 10 percent had annual incomes o...

Work Environment

Working conditions in materials engineering positions vary depending on the specific field and department in which one works. Hands-on engineers work in plants and factories. Researchers work mainly in laboratories, research institutes, and universities. Those in management positions work mostly in offices, and teachers, of course, work in school environments. Whatever the job description, a ma...

Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that job growth for materials engineers will show little or no change through 2028. Materials engineers should continue to find jobs, however, due to their key role in designing and testing materials used in manufacturing. Aerospace manufacturing and industries that focus on new medical or scientific products will need materials engineers to design new uses...