Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between material engineers and quality engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material engineer has an average salary of $86,258, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a material engineer include DOD, failure analysis and data analysis. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Material Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,258 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $41.47 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 89,717 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Materials engineers are responsible for developing, processing, and testing materials used to create a wide variety of products. These professionals study and evaluate the properties and structure of different materials, including plastics, metal, ceramics, and composites, to create new products. They also perform other tasks that include providing technical advice on suitable materials, diagnosing faults, and providing advice on planning and conducting inspections, repairs, and maintenance. Additionally, they may also oversee the work of other scientists like technicians and evaluate the technical and economic factors surrounding the design aspects of products.
A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
Material engineers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,258 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $113,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a material engineer and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Material Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Materials Science And Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between material engineers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Material Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.6% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |