Materials Engineers
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 17-2131.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $112,861
- Projected change
- +8.1%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 22.78K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
52.4% of the workforce
Growing to 24.62K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What materials engineers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
- Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
- Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
- 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.
- Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
- Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
- Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
- Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
- Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists.
- Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
- Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary.
- Supervise production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities, smelting or foundry operations, or nonmetallic materials production operations.
- Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace.
- Conduct training sessions on new material products, applications, or manufacturing methods for customers and their employees.
- Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
- Present technical information at conferences.
- Replicate the characteristics of materials and their components, using computers.
- Design processing plants and equipment.
- Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $72,301
- 25th percentile
- $88,088
- 50th percentile
- $112,861
- 75th percentile
- $142,709
- 90th percentile
- $175,718
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $112,861 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+8.1%faster than average
202522,779 jobs
2035 projected24,619 jobs
1,840 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 52.4%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 38.1%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 9.5%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- 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.
- 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.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Welding Engineers535 postings
- 02Materials Engineers449 postings
- 03Metallurgists407 postings
- 04Metallurgical Engineers242 postings
- 05Materials and Process Engineers229 postings
- 06Materials Scientists212 postings
- 07Materials Engineering Technicians157 postings
- 08Material Science Engineers148 postings
- 09Scientists126 postings
- 10Manufacturing Welding Engineers122 postings
- 11Welding Instructors119 postings
- 12Construction Materials Testing Technicians115 postings
- 13Corrosion Engineers108 postings
- 14Pipeline Engineers101 postings
- 15Radiation Oncology Registered Nurses94 postings
- 16Engineers92 postings
- 17Metallurgical Technicians84 postings
- 18Plastics Engineers84 postings
- 19Postdoctoral Researchers82 postings
- 20Field Engineers79 postings
Top employers
- 01Terracon Consultants180 postings
- 02Actalent139 postings
- 03S&Me118 postings
- 04Northrop Grumman106 postings
- 05Blue Origin105 postings
- 06Turing96 postings
- 07Pacific Northwest National Laboratory89 postings
- 08NIST74 postings
- 09Sandia Corporation65 postings
- 10Bechtel64 postings
- 11RTX63 postings
- 12Los Alamos National Laboratory62 postings
- 13SpaceX62 postings
- 14Insight Global57 postings
- 15Otsuka America52 postings
- 16Under Armour50 postings
- 17Lockheed Martin45 postings
- 18Argonne National Laboratory42 postings
- 19Bechtel Global Corporation42 postings
- 20WSP Global42 postings
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