Materials Engineering

What You'll Do in a Materials Science Engineering Career

Materials are a critical component of almost every engineering project, from the silicon in computer chips to the ceramic-coated insulating tiles on space shuttles. Materials engineering careers involve the study, development and testing of materials required in a wide range of manufactured products. Those in a materials science engineering career may work to find new uses for existing materials, or they may use basic types of materials—metals, ceramics, plastics, semiconductors and composites—to create brand-new substances that meet the specifications of a particular project.

Materials engineering entails the specialized study of materials at an atomic and electrochemical level. Most materials engineers focus on a particular type of material, such as metals (metallurgical engineering) or ceramics (ceramic engineering). Besides the design and production of materials, they may be involved in the recycling of materials or in ensuring their reliable and efficient manufacture. These skills are indispensable in a wide range of manufacturing industries where precision of material components is necessary, including transportation, electronics, and biomedical systems.

 

Materials Engineering Job Opportunities

Materials science and engineering careers generally begin on the technical side of the field, such as manufacturing or research and development. Materials engineers usually work on primary materials production, manufacturing of end products which use primary materials, or they're employed by services such as consulting or engineering firms. Some move on to work in consulting, sales or management. Though materials engineers are needed throughout nearly every type of industry, most work in the aerospace manufacturing industry, in architectural or engineering services, or in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. In your employment search, keep an eye out for job titles like manufacturing engineer, process engineer, or materials development engineer.

 

The Future of Materials Science and Engineering Careers

The field of materials engineering is expected to show 9 percent employment growth over the 2008–2018 period, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, primarily in the professional, scientific and technical services industries. As manufacturing sectors continue to search for more efficient new materials, incorporate recycled or reclaimed materials, and explore pioneering biotechnological and nanotechnological solutions, materials engineers will have a vital role to play.

 

Materials Engineering Degree Programs

Associate's Degree in Materials Engineering: Often, a bachelor's degree is required to start work as an engineer, but 2-year associate's degree programs are available in materials engineering technology or materials science, allowing the degree holder to begin work in a technician capacity or transfer to a 4-year program.
Bachelor's Degree in Materials Engineering: Materials science and engineering careers usually begin with a bachelor's degree—a Bachelor of Science in either the general materials science and engineering field or in one of the specialty areas such as metallurgy or polymers. A few schools offer Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degrees.
Master's and Doctoral Degrees in Materials Engineering: If you have a bachelor's degree in materials engineering or a related field, you may choose to deepen your knowledge and increase your job marketability with a graduate degree in the subject, such as a Master of Science, Master of Engineering (ME) or PhD degree. A master's degree takes one to two years to complete, and a PhD may require one to two years beyond that.
Online Materials Engineering Degrees: There are numerous opportunities to study materials engineering online, particularly at the master's degree level. Selected schools also offer associate's or bachelor's degrees online.

 

Materials Engineer Salary

Materials engineers who hold a bachelor's degree command an average starting salary of $57,349, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median income for materials engineers as a whole was $81,820 in May 2008. The highest-paying industry for materials science and engineering careers was miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers, with an annual mean wage of $122,680. Other high-paying industries include industrial machinery manufacturing, communications equipment manufacturing, and the federal government.