How To Become A Materials Development Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a materials development engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

James Swisher,

Rick Wise Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a materials development engineer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $41.32 an hour? That's $85,952 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 1,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a materials development engineer?

James Swisher

Director of Continuing Education, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers

It's truly an exciting time to be an Industrial and Systems Engineer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects demand for ISEs to grow by 10% over the next ten years, which is much faster than the rate for all occupations. Firms across a broad range of industries will continue to focus on the skills that ISEs bring to improve efficiencies, enhance quality, and lower costs. In addition, ISEs bring skills in the related fields of big data, artificial intelligence, and project management that make them extremely valuable to organizations. ISEs ability to quickly make an impact in an organization also means that their potential for promotion is very good. It's a great profession to be in.

ScoreMaterials Development EngineerUS Average

Salary

6.7

Avg. Salary $85,952

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.2

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 19.27%

Black or African American 2.02%

Hispanic or Latino 7.99%

Unknown 3.48%

White 66.90%

Gender

female 37.61%

male 62.39%

Age - 40

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 - 40

Stress level

5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a materials development engineer

Explore materials development engineer education requirements

Most common materials development engineer degrees

Bachelor's

68.8 %

Master's

17.7 %

Associate

6.3 %

Start to develop specific materials development engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Product Development	20.81%
Quality Standards	11.50%
Mechanical Properties	7.71%
R	6.66%
Material Suppliers	4.65%

Complete relevant materials development engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New materials development engineers 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 materials development engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real materials development engineer resumes.

Research materials development engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage and successfully complete carbon/epoxy material qualification and gain approval from FAA to use in manufacturing of composite aircraft parts.
Evaluate epoxy formulations and adhesive tapes used to encapsulate all plastic film capacitors, including UL and ASTM material/flammability testing.
Develop basic extrusion procedures and temperature profiles for polyurethane extrusion.
Optimize polymer extrusion processes from development to implementation to the plant floor to product commercialization and subsequent continual improvement.

Apply for materials development engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a materials development engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average materials development engineer salary

The average materials development engineer salary in the United States is $85,952 per year or $41 per hour. Materials development engineer salaries range between $66,000 and $110,000 per year.

Average materials development engineer salary

$85,952 Yearly

$41.32 hourly

What is a materials development engineer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a materials development engineer?

Materials development engineer career paths

Key steps to become a materials development engineer

Explore materials development engineer education requirements

Most common materials development engineer degrees

Start to develop specific materials development engineer skills

Complete relevant materials development engineer training and internships

Research materials development engineer duties and responsibilities

Apply for materials development engineer jobs

How did you land your first materials development engineer job

Average materials development engineer salary

How do materials development engineers rate their job?