Materials Engineers: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

Materials Engineers

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.

Salary
$100550
Becoming One
Hard
Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth
Low

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

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.

  • 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.
  • Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
  • Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
Read more about what does a Materials Engineer really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$96930 per year

Average hourly wage
$47 per hour


Materials Engineers with little to no experience tend to make between $57110 and $71960 while the more experienced ones can earn over $119360 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
NM $60 $124,780
MD $56 $116,380
TN $54 $111,670
LA $53 $109,410
CA $52 $107,570

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Materials Engineer is to move to a higher paying state like NM. Right now, the highest paying states for Materials Engineers are NM, MD, TN, LA and CA.

However, a higher pay at NM doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at NM might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Materials Engineer is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
Bachelor’s degree

We asked other Materials Engineers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Bachelor’s Degree followed by a Master’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Ceramic Sciences and Engineering
Materials Engineering
Metallurgical Engineering
Textile Sciences and Engineering
Polymer/Plastics Engineering
Read more about how to become a Materials Engineer and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Materials Engineer.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes to solve problems mentally
Suitable for people who wants to work in a supportive work environment
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very high salary (top 25% highest paid careers)
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to help and teach others
It is hard to get into this career. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week)

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
65%

Is this job meaningful
50%


65% of Materials Engineers said they were satisfied with their job and 50% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Thinkers and The Builders

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.



Learn more about Materials Engineers

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

Materials Engineers job description, Materials Engineers salary, Materials Engineers information, what is the job of a Materials Engineer like, pros and cons about Materials Engineers, colleges and universities for Materials Engineers, is Materials Engineers the right career for me, careers in Architecture and Engineering

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