Material engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Material engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates material engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our material engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about material engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,997 material engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 21.5% of all material engineers are women, while 78.5% are men.
- The average material engineer age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of material engineers is White (66.5%), followed by Asian (19.6%), Hispanic or Latino (8.0%) and Unknown (3.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 95% of what men earned.
- 10% of all material engineers are LGBT.
- Material engineers are 49% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Material engineer demographics by:
Material engineer gender statistics
21.5% of material engineers are women and 78.5% of material engineers are men.
- Male, 78.5%
- Female, 21.5%
Material engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 78.5% |
| Female | 21.5% |
Material engineer gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$89,214
Female income
$84,528
Material engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in material engineer positions over time. Currently, 21.5% of material engineers are female.
Material engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.87% | 19.13% |
| 2011 | 80.02% | 19.98% |
| 2012 | 74.23% | 25.77% |
| 2013 | 74.38% | 25.62% |
| 2014 | 81.65% | 18.35% |
| 2015 | 77.98% | 22.02% |
| 2016 | 81.59% | 18.41% |
| 2017 | 81.34% | 18.66% |
| 2018 | 80.14% | 19.86% |
| 2019 | 77.63% | 22.37% |
| 2020 | 70.53% | 29.47% |
| 2021 | 78.55% | 21.45% |
Material engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared material engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Engineer | 11% | 89% |
| Material Engineer | 79% | 21% |
| Machine Tool Designer | 99% | 1% |
| Refrigeration Engineer | 99% | 1% |
| Senior Electronics Design Engineer | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Material engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among material engineers is White, which makes up 66.5% of all material engineers. Comparatively, 19.6% of material engineers are Asian and 8.0% of material engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 66.5%
- Asian, 19.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.0%
- Unknown, 3.5%
- Black or African American, 2.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Material engineer race
| Material engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.5% |
| Asian | 19.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.0% |
| Unknown | 3.5% |
| Black or African American | 2.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Material engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how material engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Material engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.36% | 2.51% | 22.40% | 3.88% |
| 2011 | 73.32% | 5.22% | 15.79% | 4.28% |
| 2012 | 75.21% | 3.33% | 15.05% | 5.24% |
| 2013 | 70.05% | 4.11% | 18.18% | 5.51% |
| 2014 | 74.17% | 4.32% | 15.22% | 4.69% |
| 2015 | 70.59% | 3.29% | 18.84% | 5.51% |
| 2016 | 67.21% | 3.75% | 20.73% | 7.08% |
| 2017 | 68.63% | 2.91% | 20.45% | 6.36% |
| 2018 | 68.41% | 3.44% | 20.69% | 5.66% |
| 2019 | 70.75% | 3.34% | 17.03% | 6.21% |
| 2020 | 65.28% | 3.57% | 19.01% | 9.12% |
| 2021 | 66.53% | 2.05% | 19.55% | 8.04% |
Material engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian material engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown material engineers have the lowest average salary at $87,005.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $87,005 |
| White | $87,262 |
| Black or African American | $89,286 |
| Asian | $92,325 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $90,300 |
Average material engineer age
See how the average age of material engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Material engineer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 37 | |
| White | 42 | 37.5 |
| Asian | 40 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 32 |
Material engineer age breakdown
The average age of material engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 51% of the material engineer population.
Material engineer age breakdown
| Material Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 51% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Material engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for material engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of material engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Material engineers by degree level
| Material engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 72% |
| Master's | 16% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Doctorate | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Material engineer jobs you might like
Material engineer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $101,936 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,226 |
Material engineer employment statistics
Most material engineers work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where material engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where material engineers work.
Material engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 14% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 37% |
Material engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the material engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most material engineers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Material engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 44% |
| Private | 49% |
| Government | 3% |
Material engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for material engineers are manufacturing, technology and automotive.
Material engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 21% |
| Technology | 18% |
| Fortune 500 | 16% |
| Automotive | 6% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Energy | 6% |
| Construction | 5% |
| Education | 4% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Material engineer turnover and employment statistics
Material engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for material engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Material engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Material engineer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.42% |
| 2011 | 3.48% |
| 2012 | 2.06% |
| 2013 | 2.33% |
| 2014 | 3.13% |
| 2015 | 1.65% |
| 2016 | 3.23% |
| 2017 | 2.21% |
| 2018 | 1.58% |
| 2019 | 1.81% |
| 2020 | 4.42% |
| 2021 | 4.07% |
Average material engineer tenure
The average material engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,934 material engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Material engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 18% |
| 1-2 years | 36% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Material engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of material engineers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering Manager | 3.67% | 71,566 |
| Commercial Engineer | 5.25% | 34,390 |
| Power Transmission Engineer | 6.39% | 11,154 |
| Stress Engineer | 7.54% | 36,117 |
| Chemical Engineering Internship | 8.92% | 99,481 |
| Material Engineer | 10.43% | - |
| Waste Management Specialist | 12.89% | 86,676 |
Similar material engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering Manager | 3.67% | 71,566 |
| Commercial Engineer | 5.25% | 34,390 |
| Power Transmission Engineer | 6.39% | 11,154 |
| Stress Engineer | 7.54% | 36,117 |
| Chemical Engineering Internship | 8.92% | 99,481 |
| Waste Management Specialist | 12.89% | 86,676 |
Foreign languages spoken by material engineers
The most common foreign language among material engineers is Spanish at 30.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 14.5% and French is the third-most popular at 11.8%.
- Spanish, 30.9%
- Chinese, 14.5%
- French, 11.8%
- Mandarin, 11.8%
- Arabic, 5.5%
- Other, 25.5%
Material engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 30.9% |
| Chinese | 14.5% |
| French | 11.8% |
| Mandarin | 11.8% |
| Arabic | 5.5% |
| Other | 25.5% |
