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Aerospace & Defense
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
Materials Engineers
Materials engineers figure out why a product failed, then change the material, process, or test method so it works better next time. The job stands out because it sits right between lab science and manufacturing: you need to understand how materials behave, but you also have to care about cost, production limits, and whether a fix can actually be built at scale. The tradeoff is that the work is well paid and technically interesting, but it often depends on being on-site for testing and plant troubleshooting.
Also known as Materials EngineerMetallurgical EngineerMaterials Development EngineerMaterials Research EngineerProduct Materials Engineer
Median Salary
$108,310
Mean $116,380
U.S. Workforce
~23K
1.5K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+5.7%
23K to 24.3K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Materials Engineers sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~23K workers, with a median annual pay of $108,310 and roughly 1.5K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 23 K in 2024 to 24.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in materials science, materials engineering, metallurgy, or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Entry-Level Materials Engineer and can progress toward Principal Materials Engineer / Materials Engineering Manager. High-value skills usually include Science & Materials Engineering Principles, Failure Analysis & Root Cause Investigation, and Materials Testing & Characterization, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking.
Core Responsibilities
- Review broken parts and lab results to figure out why a material cracked, wore out, corroded, or failed in service.
- Run or oversee tests on raw materials and finished products to check strength, durability, heat resistance, and overall quality.
- Choose the best way to shape, join, or treat materials so the final part performs the way it should.
- Help design or improve production equipment and the steps used to make a material or product.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Review broken parts and lab results to figure out why a material cracked, wore out, corroded, or failed in service.
02 Run or oversee tests on raw materials and finished products to check strength, durability, heat resistance, and overall quality.
03 Choose the best way to shape, join, or treat materials so the final part performs the way it should.
04 Help design or improve production equipment and the steps used to make a material or product.
05 Compare performance requirements with cost and manufacturing limits before settling on a material or process.
06 Train customers, technicians, or plant staff on how to use a new material or manufacturing method.
Industries That Hire
đģ
Semiconductors & Electronics
Intel, Samsung Electronics, Applied Materials
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Automotive & EVs
Tesla, Ford, General Motors
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Industrial Manufacturing
3M, Caterpillar, Honeywell
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Energy & Chemicals
Dow, ExxonMobil, Chevron
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is strong: the mean salary is $116,380 and the median is $108,310, which puts the job well above many technical support roles.
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You can usually enter with a bachelor's degree, and both BLS and O*NET show no required work experience or on-the-job training.
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The work is varied, mixing lab testing, product design, and manufacturing problem-solving instead of one repetitive task.
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Demand is steady, with about 1.5 thousand annual openings and 5.7% projected growth through 2034.
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The skills transfer across aerospace, electronics, automotive, and heavy industry, so you are not locked into one niche.
Challenges
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Growth is only 5.7% over ten years, so this is not a fast-expanding field.
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The labor market is small, with just 22,770 workers today, so openings can be competitive and concentrated in certain regions.
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Remote work is limited because you often need to be in a lab, test area, or plant to inspect materials and equipment.
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Many of the best research jobs lean on advanced education; 33.33% of workers have doctorates, so a bachelor's degree may not be enough for top roles.
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A lot of the work is solving failures after something has already gone wrong, which can be repetitive and tied to manufacturing budgets and product cycles.
Career Progression
Entry-Level Materials Engineer
0-2 years
$70K-$84K
Supports testing, documentation, and data review while learning lab procedures, plant workflows, and how different materials behave.
Materials Engineer
2-5 years
$85K-$120K
Handles routine failure analysis, material selection, and process checks for specific products and production lines.
Senior Materials Engineer THIS ROLE
5-9 years
$121K-$150K
Leads harder investigations, signs off on specs, and coaches junior engineers across lab, design, and manufacturing teams.
Principal Materials Engineer / Materials Engineering Manager
9-15+ years
$151K-$190K
Sets material strategy, reviews high-risk changes, and may manage projects, budgets, or a technical team.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in materials science, materials engineering, metallurgy, or a related field
The most common entry point, held by 47.62% of workers in this role.
Doctoral degree
A strong path for research-heavy and advanced product development jobs; 33.33% of workers report this level.
Master's degree
Useful for specialized design, failure analysis, or R&D work; 9.52% of workers report this level.
Post-baccalaureate certificate in materials testing, metallurgy, or corrosion
A practical add-on for people who already have an engineering degree; 4.76% of workers report this level.
Key Skills
Technical
Science & Materials Engineering Principles 80%
Failure Analysis & Root Cause Investigation 80%
Materials Testing & Characterization 80%
Process Design & Manufacturing Methods 78%
Statistical Analysis, Minitab & Excel 78%
Metallurgy, Polymers & Corrosion 78%
Mathematics & Engineering Calculations 75%
CAD, SolidWorks & AutoCAD 75%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningComplex Problem SolvingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionWritingAttention to Detail Job Outlook and Trends
+5.7%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
1.5K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 23K to 24.3 K over the next decade, representing 5.7% growth. Around 1.5 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.