Career Profile: Materials Engineers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 22,100 people employed as materials engineers in the United States. The median annual salary is $98,300. Entry level employees earn approximately $60,580 per year and senior employees earn approximately $161,080 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• 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 material deterioration.
• Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
• Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
• Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
• Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
• Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
• 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.
• Replicate the characteristics of materials and their components with computers.
• 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.
• Design processing plants and equipment.
• Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications.
• Teach in colleges and universities.

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