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Job outlook for material engineers in the United States
Material engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected material engineer job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 1,300 new jobs for material engineers are projected over the next decade.
Material engineer salaries have increased 2% for material engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 10,997 material engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 89,717 active material engineer job openings in the US.
The average material engineer salary is $86,258.
Are material engineer jobs in demand?
Material engineer job and salary trends over time
Material engineer jobs over time
Material engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,997 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 12,637 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 13,700 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 13,756 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 13,894 | 0.00% |
Average material engineer salary over time
Material engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $86,258 | $41.47 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $84,202 | $40.48 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $83,327 | $40.06 | --2.3% |
| 2023 | $85,329 | $41.02 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $84,157 | $40.46 | +2.2% |
Material engineer jobs by state
Most common states for material engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 323 | 47% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,864 | 27% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 988 | 24% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 320 | 24% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,233 | 22% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,252 | 21% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 203 | 21% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,676 | 20% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 623 | 20% |
| 10 | California | 39,536,653 | 7,530 | 19% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,403 | 19% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 997 | 18% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,118 | 17% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 526 | 17% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 109 | 17% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,106 | 16% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 901 | 16% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 118 | 16% |
| 19 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,693 | 15% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 162 | 15% |
Most common cities for material engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | 3 | 9% | $84,494 |
| 2 | East Hartford | 3 | 6% | $89,481 |
| 3 | Hawthorne | 4 | 5% | $91,535 |
| 4 | Cupertino | 3 | 5% | $100,861 |
| 5 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $77,804 |
| 6 | Blacksburg | 1 | 2% | $86,267 |
| 7 | Wichita | 5 | 1% | $74,464 |
| 8 | Huntsville | 2 | 1% | $72,271 |
| 9 | Sunnyvale | 2 | 1% | $100,953 |
| 10 | Boulder | 1 | 1% | $91,966 |
| 11 | San Diego | 4 | 0% | $90,392 |
| 12 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $91,884 |
| 13 | Tucson | 2 | 0% | $91,989 |
| 14 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $91,303 |
| 15 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $72,487 |
Material Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of material engineer experts
San Jose State University
Seattle University
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Minnesota - Duluth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Weber State University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Wilkes University
University of New Mexico
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Wisconsin - Platteville
University of South Alabama
San Jose State University
North Carolina State University
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Kambiz Farahmand Ph.D., P.E.: After you proved yourself to your peers and supervisors, you can always ask your price. Otherwise, there are a lot of other companies that will meet your ask and value your abilities.
Christopher Misorski FASM
Brunswick Technical Fellow-Materials Product Development & EngineeringWhat general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Christopher Misorski FASM: My first thoughts on beginning in any field or with any company is “be a sponge” about what the company is doing and what they want you to work on. Do way more listening and observing than talking. Learn the processes used AND the pitfalls/challenges of those processes. It is highly valuable to spend many hours “watching production” to gather first-hand knowledge of what is going on. Ask questions and don’t be quick to criticize a production employees’ explanation of the problem, even if you are quite sure technically that it is not fully correct. Their explanation fits the issues they see with their learned knowledge over time. There are valuable insights there. Also, just because you graduated with a degree, that doesn’t mean your education is finished. Continue to learn by attending relevant conferences for your field, attending training classes, watching webinars, attending local professional society technical meetings and talking to other experts in the field at these meetings. There is a LOT of knowledge out there and many methods of learning more.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Christopher Misorski FASM: Maximizing salary potential at the start of your career is not a clear pathway generally. One way that you can be considered more valuable, and hence worth a better salary, is to have participated in a co-op or internship program with a company in your field. This experience gives employers some confidence that you were able to carry out assignments and thrive in a workplace environment. The employer that you worked for may be inclined to offer you a position upon graduation and you are now worth more because you have already proven to them your abilities. Even if they don’t offer you a job (no appropriate open position may be available) your ability to discuss your experiences with the HR recruiter or hiring manager at another company can instill confidence in your selection as a hire. Just remember, if you tell them you did a project, be prepared to explain it so it doesn’t appear you were just in the background of this project, just going along for the ride.
Professor Winncy Du
Professor, PhD, PE, ASME FellowSan Jose State University
Mechanical Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Professor Winncy Du: Keep Engineering Ethics in mind -- protect the public and the engineers themselves. Make sure that they know and understand the core concepts of their field. No matter what they design, they need to follow the industrial standards or grades, and safety measurements closely. Check, check, and double check, especially when they design biomedical devices, mobile robots, autonomous vehicles or drones, and automated material handling systems. I saw increasing engineers' designs or products challenged by the prospect of being deposed in the courtroom.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Thomas Congedo PhD: That comes from your ability to focus on technical product of the highest quality, always seeking to truly understand the customer’s needs. For example, often a customer will phrase a problem by stating the solution he or she assumes. Taking the time to respectfully draw out the thinking further can make you the customer’s hero, and this makes you the person likely to be selected for the challenging and most rewarded assignments.
Jhon Smith
Associate Professor and Director of MS in Structural EngineeringSeattle University
Civil Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Jhon Smith: Do not be afraid to ask questions to your supervisors (although do not take it to an extreme and become demanding—show initiative). You get the fundamentals of engineering at school and you are equipped to use them but it takes a few years to feel comfortable. Engineering is a profession of practice and it is only through practice that you best learn it.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jhon Smith: Expand your network, join professional organizations and committees, become valuable in whatever company you work for, never stop learning, seek for opportunities for professional work, get your PE license. After these you will become more valuable naturally and could comfortably ask for a promotion or a salary increase because you’d know you deserve it.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Jhon Smith: Professional skills such as being able to communicate clearly, being flexible, open-minded, eager to take on challenges, adept and working with others and taking ownership of the projects tasks given to you. Staying grounded to the fundamental concepts you learn in school so every time you run a sophisticated piece of software to do design you must be able to use those fundamentals to check the results.
Omar Saleh
Chair, Materials DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
Materials Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Omar Saleh: Technical skills related to the subject areas mentioned above will become important and prevalent. Computational skills specifically are more important now than ten years ago, and this will stay the same in the next 3-5 years.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Richard Davis: Engineers engage in various daily activities that are intellectually stimulating and rewarding. Every task is a step toward a tangible accomplishment, from innovating, designing, testing, and implementing new technologies to troubleshooting and optimizing existing systems to reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve quality. They may spend time in meetings discussing project progress, collaborating with colleagues, and planning future steps, all of which contribute to the sense of achievement. Engineers often use software tools to create designs, analyze data, and simulate systems, further enhancing their productivity and satisfaction. Depending on the field, they might spend time in labs conducting experiments, on-site overseeing construction or manufacturing processes, or in offices working on plans and reports, all of which are opportunities to see their work come to fruition. Entry-level Engineers: A bachelor's degree in engineering trains engineers with strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Entry-level engineers might start with tasks like data collection and analysis or assisting senior engineers with projects. Entry-level engineers might also spend time shadowing more experienced colleagues, attending training sessions, and gradually taking on more responsibility and management as they gain experience.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Richard Davis: Engineering offers career opportunities across various industries, from technology and healthcare to infrastructure and environmental sustainability. With technological advancements and the increasing complexity of global challenges, such as climate change, food and clean water, and urbanization, engineers are in high demand to develop innovative solutions. For example, environmental engineers are crucial in developing sustainable solutions to reduce pollution and conserve resources. Engineering provides opportunities for creativity and problem-solving, making it a rewarding career choice for those who enjoy tackling complex problems. The global focus on sustainability and renewable energy presents exciting prospects for engineers to contribute to meaningful projects that positively impact society and the environment.
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Mishah Salman Ph.D.: An underappreciated skill that I think will become more sought-after is the ability to validate computer-made decisions and their shortcomings. With the growing prominence of AI use in design, problem solving, and decision making, the engineering field will need experts to error-check decisions made using these technologies. Sometimes there are unexplored gaps that these technologies overlook, and sometimes there are biases or inappropriate assumptions baked into AI-based results. Humans are inherently imaginative and creative. We excel at picking up on things that computer algorithms may miss. Talented experts that recognize and address these issues will remain invaluable in the workforce. Another indispensable skill that is often overlooked in engineering is effective interpersonal communication. Whether in a teamwork context, a leadership role, or a client interaction, competent communication is crucial. This can take the form of conversation, live presentations, written correspondence, and beyond. People that hone their communication skills are often recognized, and tend to be the individuals that are promoted to more senior roles.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mansooreh Mollaghasemi Ph.D.: Concurrent with building technical skills, they must build soft skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. These skills are often the differentiators between good and great engineers.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Megumi Usui: Even after obtaining a degree, it is crucial to recognize that continuous learning is a fundamental aspect of professional development in the workplace. One must cultivate an open-minded attitude and demonstrate a willingness to acquire new knowledge and skills at any time and in any context. Effective communication with colleagues and clients is essential for successful collaboration and project execution. It is important to understand that the professional environment is significantly different from the academic setting. In a company, the focus is delivering work that meets the expectations and standards set by the employer and satisfies the needs of clients, rather than merely fulfilling personal criteria. Furthermore, it is imperative to produce high-quality work consistently. Mediocre performance is unacceptable, and organizations will not hesitate to seek replacements if the work delivered does not meet their standards. Ensuring that your work is thorough, precise, and aligns with the company's objectives is critical for maintaining the position and advancing their career.
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Michael Denn: 1. Become the expert in whatever you do. 2. Understand how your work fits into the bigger picture and keep that in mind when you do your work. 3. Keep learning! Your engineering degree is not the end of your education! 4. Take stretch assignments and opportunities whenever you can.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Denn: 1. The time needed to progress from an idea to a quality prototype is continually decreasing. That trend will likely continue. Skills that support short development times, such as computer modeling, simulations and rapid prototyping, will continue to be valued. 2. One skill that will always be valuable is the ability to acquire new knowledge and apply it to the task at hand.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Michael Denn: The answers to this question are largely the same as the answer to question 1. However, here are some additional points: 1. Excel in your job. Become the person everyone goes to for whatever type of work you do. 2. Develop and maintain a career plan. Make sure your assignments and tasks align with your plan. When you have the opportunity to change positions, keep you plan in mind.
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Marleen Troy Ph.D., P.E., BCEE: Plan to get your PE license. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and become proficient with a new skill or a new area of expertise. Continue to develop both your technical and leadership skills.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jamie Gomez: Chemical engineering is a compelling field to enter now because of its critical role in advancing renewable energy and promoting the green economy. Chemical engineers lead the charge in developing sustainable technologies, such as green ammonia for eco-friendly fertilizers and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to reduce the aviation industry's carbon footprint. They are key players in driving innovations toward achieving net-zero carbon emissions, working on projects that minimize environmental impact and champion sustainable industrial practices. It is a profession that offers substantial opportunities to make a positive impact on both the environment and society.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Jamie Gomez: Chemical engineers thrive on tackling complex problems and embracing diverse projects, which offer ample opportunities for innovation and career growth. Their work profoundly impacts society, particularly in advancing sustainable technologies. However, the profession can be demanding, with high workloads, regulatory hurdles, and safety challenges. Ethical considerations must also be carefully balanced with industrial growth. Senior chemical engineering students transitioning from capstone design projects often find the experience stressful but invaluable. These projects mirror real-world engineering scenarios and equip them with practical skills like problem-solving, collaboration, innovation, and adaptability. Additionally, they gain an understanding of the economic aspects of engineering projects, learning to assess cost-effectiveness and financial feasibility. These competencies are crucial for career success, offering versatility and a wide range of professional opportunities.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. James Rawlins: We graduate polymer scientist and engineers those degrees are slightly different from plastics engineers but also very similar. Our students careers would be focused on utilizing new and legacy technology to deliver new performance and novel applications of polymeric materials. We present skills that allow our students to work in almost every area of research, development and engineering that is related to societal needs. Those that prefer to work daily in a laboratory would be able to do so in most career fields, testing materials, formulating new products and often being the technical lead with customer focused projects to match their needs and expectations. Those that prefer to move from a laboratory to sales and marketing also do so very successfully. The transition from inventing, making and testing polymeric materials happens often for those that prefer to sell and interface with customers. These bachelor degreed scientist and engineers would often travel to customers, explain technical projects and timelines associated with research and development.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Prof. Harold Evensen: Engineering Physics students and graduates like gaining an understanding of the “physics” of why or how something works, and then applying this knowledge to make judgments and improvements. They also like learning and applying knowledge from several disciplines. A common “dislike” is beyond their control: some employers may not understand what “Engineering Physics” is, or may have incorrect preconceived notions. At UW-Platteville, employers are familiar with this major, which is approaching 30 years on campus. Additionally, faculty work with students on how to present their “story” to employers. Engineering Physics students need to be able to present their strengths and abilities to employers, and often can’t rely only on “name recognition.” In the long run, this is better, anyway. Overall, we have had success: among accredited Engineering Physics degree programs in the U.S., UW-Platteville puts the most graduates directly into industry!
Edmund Spencer
Associate ProfessorUniversity of South Alabama
Electrical, Electronics, And Communications Engineering
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Edmund Spencer: Look for jobs that have the highest technical content, and try to develop entrepreneurial skills early.
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
J. Richard Elliott Professor Emeritus: The lovely thing about deciding to major in chemical engineering is that it is the “undecision.” Chemical engineering degree-holders can be (patent) lawyers, doctors (it has the highest admission RATE of any major), petroleum producers and refiners, corrosion specialists, polymer processors, cancer researchers, machine learning engineers for additive manufacturing (3D printing), computer chipmakers, cancer researchers, CEOs, professors, wastewater bioengineers, food engineers, ... There are probably many more but this is just off the top of my head. About the admission RATE to med school, CHEs don’t apply if they aren’t pretty sure they’ll get in because they have so many other options. The RATE is the fraction of those who apply who get in. About 45% of Biomed engineers go to med school and 45% go to grad school. The number of Biomeds may be more, but their RATE is only ~50%. Running petroleum refineries (for gasoline, Exxon, BP, Shell…) and chemical production plants (for ethylene, ethanol-gasohol, … Dow, Dupont, BASF, Lubrizol…) are probably the most obvious careers, but they represent maybe only 50% of where CHEs go nowadays. Many UA CHEs get the corrosion specialization and work for oil companies but also work for the Dept of Defense. There was a glut of CHEs in the early 80s when Reagan shut down Carter’s clean fuel initiative. That glut sent CHEs scurrying into many fields and they have kept their fingers in all these pies. In Akron Ohio, polymer companies like PolyOne, Goodyear (and other tire companies), AL Shulman, ... pick up about 25% of UAs graduates. Smucker’s in Orrville also picks up a steady number who become food engineers. My wife started with BP in tertiary oil recovery (briefly, using “soap” to wash the oil of rocks deep in the ground). Then she worked with Ferro to develop a smart washing machine that would synthesize peroxide bleach on the spot. Then she worked for a company that makes non-skid strips for showers and stairs and skateboards. She ended her career working for the largest bottle-grade polyester company in the world, trying to solve the polyester recycle problem. My oldest daughter did her PhD-CHE developing a diagnostic for pre-eclampsia that cut false positives in half. Her post-doc was focused on auto-immune diseases and now she works in the front office of a CA “unicorn” as the associate director of business development. My younger daughter started her career exploring arthritis as an auto-immune disease then she worked for Caribou (one of Doudna’s startups) working on allogeneic CAR T-cell technology using CRISPR-CAS9. Then she worked on similar cancer treatments with natural killer cells and autologous CAR T-cell therapy. My son-in-law is a PhD CHE working on machine learning at LLNL (he met my older daughter in grad school). Computer chips are manufactured by a process involving chemical vapor deposition, polymeric photoresists, and chemical etching; all are chemical engineering processes. Gordon Moore of “Moore’s law” was a CHE. Many CEOs of companies like Exxon, Dow, etc have been CHEs. One of my best (CHE) friends has developed a process to enhance wastewater treatment to perform 5x more treatment in the same volume. The digestion of sewage involves bacteria, making It more properly a biochemical engineering problem, not a civil engineering problem.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
J. Richard Elliott Professor Emeritus: It’s always a good time to major in CHE because the broad background makes it feasible to pivot into whatever field is in demand when you expect to graduate.
What general advice would you give to a Material Engineer?
Daniel Armentrout: The excessive number of baby boomer engineers are retiring at high rates and you as a new engineering graduate are desperately needed to make up for their loss in the workforce. You will face challenges in your career we could not anticipate or prepare you for in your education. You will have to adapt and continue to learn new fields of study which did not exist when you graduated. We have given you tools to learn and you will have to use those tools to remain relevant throughout your career. Find your place as an engineer when you can be effective, help humanity, and have fun. Plot a career path where you can utilize your strengths and challenge your mind to do new things. Contribute to making a better world and you will be able to enjoy immense satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Daniel Armentrout: Expanded use of swarms of cheap sensors that communicate on multiple platforms for better understanding and control of complicated systems. Integrated use of artificial intelligence to increase our effectiveness in all aspects of our jobs.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christopher Lew: Chemical engineering is a multidisciplinary, technology-driven field that offers a broad set of skills and knowledge. Graduates have many career opportunities to choose from in various industries. The profession is dynamic, well-compensated, and allows for success and growth.
What will help Material Engineers increase their earning potential?
Christopher Lew: People like the broad range of career opportunities, the ability to address complex challenges, and the potential for success and growth in various fields. Dislikes may include the complexity of the field and the varied responsibilities that require a unique way of thinking and problem-solving.
What Material Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexey Gulyuk: Being an Engineer means to be educated in many fields and, what is even more important, to be able to get out of your initial field of expertise and quickly learn new things. In essence, good Engineer has no limits or can push through the limits. Being an engineer is to be a highly-skilled individual that works on impactful projects that solve real-world problems. Currently, Engineering is in high demand and the field will continue growth with further advancements of the technologies like biotech, data science, renewable and non-conventional energy. Lastly, Engineering allows us to stay up-to-date and being able to follow the trends in diverse career opportunities.