How To Become A Manufacturing Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a manufacturing scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Kevin Belfield Ph.D.

Manufacturing scientists conduct experiments to develop products and procedures. It's their duty to perform research and analysis, coordinate with clients and experts, and keep records of all methods and findings. They must also be able to identify market needs and conditions. As manufacturing is a team effort, they may need to have good communication skills.

A bachelor's degree is required in science, engineering, or other related fields and four-plus years of related experience. They may need to study material science and other industry-related specific subjects, as well as statistics and mathematics.

They may expect to earn a salary from $54,110 to $66,667, with an average base salary of $60,059. If they establish themself as a good scientist, they may even earn different medals and honors.

What general advice would you give to a manufacturing scientist?

Kevin Belfield Ph.D.

Dean, College of Science and Liberal Arts Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science Becton Dickinson Research Professor Fellow of the ACS and AAAS, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Keep learning, and stay curious. New information and technologies are being generated at an unprecedented rate. A grad's new degree is a great foundation. It's essential to continue learning, both in your field and in others. Suppose you have a particular interest, unrelated to your degree (perhaps it's robotics, music, economics, web design, history, or science fiction, for example). It's not a bad idea to dedicate some time each week reading in or pursuing this area, as one never knows when there may be a convergence of your interests that can lead to an unexpected professional opportunity.

ScoreManufacturing ScientistUS Average

Salary

6.8

Avg. Salary $87,366

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 26.53%

Black or African American 6.20%

Hispanic or Latino 9.39%

Unknown 4.05%

White 53.68%

Gender

female 54.43%

male 45.57%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a manufacturing scientist

Explore manufacturing scientist education requirements

Most common manufacturing scientist degrees

Bachelor's

76.0 %

Master's

15.1 %

Associate

6.2 %

Start to develop specific manufacturing scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Chemistry	15.25%
Continuous Improvement	9.58%
QC	7.34%
GMP	6.19%
FDA	5.31%

Complete relevant manufacturing scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New manufacturing scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a manufacturing scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manufacturing scientist resumes.

Research manufacturing scientist duties and responsibilities

Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
Perform calculations according to procedures, and maintains accurate records of work perform according to GLP / GMP.
Characterize various oligonucleotides by reversed-phase HPLC.
Develop locus specific PCR assays.

Prepare your manufacturing scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your manufacturing scientist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a manufacturing scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable manufacturing scientist resume templates

Build a professional manufacturing scientist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your manufacturing scientist resume.