What does a material engineer do?
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.
Material engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real material engineer resumes:
- Manage and successfully complete carbon/epoxy material qualification and gain approval from FAA to use in manufacturing of composite aircraft parts.
- Position entails ownership of machinery and equipment performance used to produce supply for aluminum aerospace and automotive components.
- Determine processing for titanium bloom and slab.
- Perform QC checks throughout the process to continually improve.
- Oversee chemistry adjustment of molten before pouring into the molds.
- Evaluate material microstructure, chemistry makeup, and stress/strain properties.
- Perform evaluation by collecting (DoD) and repair facility maintenance records.
- Perform characterization analysis on coatings using SEM, XRD and wet chemistry techniques.
- Perform failure analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy methods.
- Review of all process piping welding plans to conform to API 570 and B31.3.
- Work extensively with end user (NASA) on projects concerning the external tank.
- Give material recommendations on high profile jobs when the standard low alloy steel is not sufficient.
- Verify materials and processes that meet the standards and specification per the environment levy by NASA contract.
- Perform plant trials on new alloys for the aerospace, mold plate, and armor plate markets.
- Used ASTM standards for quasi-static tensile tests and friction tests, and write procedures for project specific testing.
Material engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Material Engineers are proficient in DOD, Failure Analysis, and Data Analysis. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Material Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- DOD, 15%
Supported and directed innovative small businesses and Start-Ups through the DoD SBIR program.
- Failure Analysis, 5%
Operated electrical failure analysis laboratory.
- Data Analysis, 4%
Performed extensive data analysis of experimental results for ongoing projects to provide supervisor with recommendations for further proceedings.
- CAD, 4%
Create and maintain a list of all CAD drawings of the Life Sciences division in the plant.
- ASTM, 4%
Executed testing according to ASTM standards to evaluate corrosion resistance of surgical instruments.
- Material Properties, 3%
Evaluated competitor's products through various reverse engineering techniques to determine material properties and various manufacturing process specifications.
Common skills that a material engineer uses to do their job include "dod," "failure analysis," and "data analysis." You can find details on the most important material engineer responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a material engineer to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what material engineers do because "materials engineers often work on projects related to other fields of engineering." Additionally, a material engineer resume shows how material engineers use analytical skills: "applied the design of experiments and statistical analysis to determine robust manufacturing conditions. "
Speaking skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling material engineer duties is speaking skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "while working with technicians, technologists, and other engineers, materials engineers must state concepts and directions clearly." According to a material engineer resume, here's how material engineers can utilize speaking skills in their job responsibilities: "represented intertek as an astm committee member for d08 and e05 (roofing and fire resistance). "
Writing skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of material engineers is writing skills. This skill is critical to many everyday material engineer duties, as "materials engineers must write plans and reports clearly so that people without a materials engineering background can understand the concepts." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "delivered corporate training courses in technical report writing to qatari civil servants. "
Math skills. For certain material engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a material engineer rely on this skill, as "materials engineers use the principles of calculus and other advanced topics in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what material engineers do: "conducted frequent plant-wide training classes in basic statistics, fmea, gager&r;, spc, and doe. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for material engineer responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of material engineers all the time, as "materials engineers must understand the relationship between materials’ structures, their properties, how they are made, and how these factors affect the products they are used to make." An excerpt from a real material engineer resume shows how this skill is central to what a material engineer does: "solved component problems involving manufacturing, design engineering, purchasing and vendors as appropriate. "
The three companies that hire the most material engineers are:
- Apple20 material engineers jobs
- FedEx14 material engineers jobs
- Raytheon Technologies12 material engineers jobs
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Compare different material engineers
Material engineer vs. Research and development engineer
Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between material engineers and research and development engineer. For instance, material engineer responsibilities require skills such as "dod," "material properties," "quality standards," and "material selection." Whereas a research and development engineer is skilled in "python," "c #," "patients," and "prototype." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Research and development engineers really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $107,654. Comparatively, material engineers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $92,305.On average, research and development engineers reach similar levels of education than material engineers. Research and development engineers are 1.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Material engineer vs. Product development engineer
A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, material engineer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "dod," "material properties," "quality standards," and "sem." Meanwhile, a product development engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "product design," "prototype," "c++," and "fea." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Product development engineers earn a lower average salary than material engineers. But product development engineers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $86,062. Additionally, material engineers earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $92,305 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Product development engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than material engineers. In fact, they're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for material engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Peter Rosado
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Georgia College and State University
Material engineer vs. Development engineer
A Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a material engineer is likely to be skilled in "dod," "astm," "material properties," and "quality standards," while a typical development engineer is skilled in "java," "python," "c #," and "software development."
Development engineers make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $105,648. On the other hand, material engineers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $92,305.When it comes to education, development engineers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to material engineers. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Material engineer vs. Equipment engineer
The duties of an equipment engineer depend on one's organization or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around designing and developing mechanical and electronic equipment, analyzing and improving existing systems, performing customization according to customers' preferences, installing and removing attachments, and conducting regular maintenance procedures. An equipment engineer must also address issues and complaints, providing corrective measures promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with team members and other specialists, inspect and test new systems, and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
Types of material engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
