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Job outlook for materials process engineers in the United States
Materials process engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected materials process engineer job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 1,300 new jobs for materials process engineers are projected over the next decade.
Materials process engineer salaries have increased 2% for materials process engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 10,044 materials process engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 79,795 active materials process engineer job openings in the US.
The average materials process engineer salary is $90,788.
Are materials process engineer jobs in demand?
Materials process engineer job and salary trends over time
Materials process engineer jobs over time
Materials process engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,044 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,541 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 12,512 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 12,563 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 12,689 | 0.00% |
Average materials process engineer salary over time
Materials process engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $90,788 | $43.65 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $88,623 | $42.61 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $87,703 | $42.16 | --2.3% |
| 2022 | $89,810 | $43.18 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $88,576 | $42.58 | +2.2% |
Materials process engineer jobs by state
Most common states for materials process engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 399 | 57% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,893 | 28% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 231 | 24% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 314 | 23% |
| 5 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 901 | 22% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,779 | 21% |
| 7 | California | 39,536,653 | 7,704 | 19% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,428 | 19% |
| 9 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,153 | 19% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,069 | 19% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,034 | 18% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 570 | 18% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,088 | 16% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,572 | 15% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 297 | 15% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 249 | 15% |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 156 | 15% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 113 | 15% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 93 | 15% |
| 20 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 935 | 14% |
Most common cities for materials process engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan Beach | 3 | 8% | $96,222 |
| 2 | Stratford | 3 | 6% | $94,074 |
| 3 | Manassas | 2 | 5% | $94,018 |
| 4 | Huntsville | 8 | 4% | $82,060 |
| 5 | Palmdale | 7 | 4% | $96,819 |
| 6 | Hawthorne | 3 | 3% | $96,223 |
| 7 | Marietta | 2 | 3% | $95,381 |
| 8 | Redondo Beach | 2 | 3% | $96,184 |
| 9 | Adelanto | 1 | 3% | $96,432 |
| 10 | Cedar Rapids | 3 | 2% | $80,110 |
| 11 | Duluth | 2 | 2% | $97,108 |
| 12 | East Hartford | 1 | 2% | $94,116 |
| 13 | Wichita | 5 | 1% | $78,697 |
| 14 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $96,349 |
| 15 | Chula Vista | 1 | 0% | $95,097 |
| 16 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $104,797 |
Materials Process Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of materials process engineer experts
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Southern Mississippi
Oklahoma State University
North Dakota State University
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
North Dakota State University
University of Denver
Weber State University
University of Arkansas
Binghamton University
University of Houston - Downtown
Wichita State University
Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
Omar Saleh
Chair, Materials DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
Materials Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Materials Process 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 Materials Process Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Omar Saleh: It is widely agreed that the importance of materials science will only grow in the next several decades, so it is a great time to get started in the field. Growth is expected because materials science is posed to address many of the most challenging problems in society.
What general advice would you give to a Materials Process Engineer?
Dr. James Rawlins: The career field is ripe for students that want to solve problems and be rewarded for doing so consistently. There is a current shortage of STEM related recent graduates based upon both current retiring positions and future needs. Deloitte estimates that there will be 4.6 million manufacturing jobs to fill between 2018 and 2028. There will be a shortfall of 2.4 million and that will drive opportunities and salaries higher, estimated to be 1.7X average all position salary growth (onetonline.org) for those that have STEM related degrees. Polymer scientists, engineers and plastics engineers are highly sought after and needed.
What Materials Process 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 Materials Process Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. James Rawlins: Historically, our students love their chosen careers, with the versatility to be in laboratories for product development, new materials synthesis and research, or in sales, marketing, technical marketing, management, production there are plenty of mobility, growth and travel opportunities. Some of our students want small to medium sized companies with lots of diverse challenges and an exciting pace while there are also many exciting opportunities in medium to large companies with many chances for mentoring, to be mentored and to grow within a larger organization. There are plenty of options for all of the varied career outlooks and perspectives.
What will help Materials Process Engineers increase their earning potential?
Guiping Hu Ph.D.: Industrial Engineers design, build, and improve production systems. As IEs, we focus on both the quality of what is made and how it is made. Industrial Engineering is a very inclusive, diverse, and dynamic discipline. Whether it is shortening a roller-coaster line, streamlining an operating room, distributing products world wide or manufacturing superior automobiles, all share the common goal of reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
Dr. David Grewell Ph.D.
Department Chair and ProfessorNorth Dakota State University
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department
What skills will help Materials Process Engineers earn the most?
Dr. David Grewell Ph.D.: Good communication and leadership skills that are embedded in their curriculum enable IE's to quickly move up the corporate ladder and become the CEO of the nation's leading companies.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Materials Process Engineer job market given the pandemic?
William Cross Ph.D.: The biggest job market trends given the pandemic are working from home, and slightly delayed hiring - in Metallurgical Engineering at SD Mines, it took about 9-12 months for our Spring 2020 graduates to be hired to levels that took less than three months pre-pandemic, although eventually most of our graduates have been placed. The Fall 2020 graduates have seen a similar delay.
I expect some of the work from home will remain into the future, but do not expect the delayed hiring to extend for too much longer. I also expect that in some fields the pandemic has accelerated trends towards greater automation of job functions.
What soft skills should all Materials Process Engineers possess?
William Cross Ph.D.: The soft skills that all graduates should possess are primarily in communication - speaking/writing clearly, and listening/reading comprehension - and in teamwork skills. Being able to function in a variety of roles on a team is very important to success in many jobs.
How have salaries changed over time for Materials Process Engineers?
William Cross Ph.D.: This of course depends on the time range to which the question refers. Over the last 4-5 years salaries have been rather flat on average going by SD Mines graduates in Metallurgical Engineering, although this is working off a rather high baseline. SD Mines has been recognized as the top engineering schools in the nation for return on investment, and Metallugical Engineering has an above average starting salary for SD Mines at around $65,000/year.
Andriy Voronov
ProfessorNorth Dakota State University
Coatings and Polymeric Materials Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Materials Process Engineers?
Andriy Voronov: Since pandemic is not over yet, there may be only a guess on how significant this impact can be. I think answering this question resonates with more general one, namely, "Will our life after COVID-19 be the same as before?" We all want to be positive about that but are just not certain. Moreover, I think in some professional aspects in most fields, changes are unavoidable. Working from home, attending virtual conferences, taking part in Zoom meetings, even virtual get together with colleagues will most probably remain to be a new post-pandemic working routine, by all advantages and disadvantages this may bring to most recent graduates. Speaking about materials science, I hope and do believe that there will be global and impactful factors other than coronavirus pandemic, such as novel materials trends, technological innovations etc., to take into account for graduates.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Materials Process Engineers?
Andriy Voronov: I think most graduate programs in materials science offer opportunities for interdisciplinary research and educational activities. Their philosophy is to educate and prepare job prospects by providing advanced aspects of work, including extensive collaborations between departments, programs, institutions or with industrial partners. Offering specialized trainings in various areas, graduate programs aim to merge basic and applied research within the certain field. With this said, quit often graduate programs work also with leading industrial scientists who help to provide to the graduates new and practical directions to become competitive at the job market. Answering your question more specifically, graduate programs do target as complementary and comprehensive education as possible. It will be interesting to hear from graduates what courses they took have the biggest impact for them, as well as if they need any additional certifications/licenses and which specifically.
How have salaries changed over time for Materials Process Engineers?
Andriy Voronov: Being materials scientist means being able to do lot of things starting from fundamental research on material properties and characterization up to developing entirely new formulations and modify them to make new products suitable for new applications. One should be prepared to work in research lab, but also in pilot plants, as well as in manufacturing facilities. As for the soft skills, those are critical thinking, problem solving, communication, written and oral, including ability to communicate science to scientists, but also nonscientific audience, also flexibility and adaptability in (always) willing to learn. Although not a soft skill, but rather technical one, do not forget about fundamental knowledge and understanding of materials specifics and properties one works with.
Dr. Matt Howard Gordon Ph.D.
Professor & Chair, Mechanical & Materials EngineeringUniversity of Denver
Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Materials Process Engineers?
Dr. Matt Howard Gordon Ph.D.: I think so. At least for a couple years.
What will help Materials Process Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Matt Howard Gordon Ph.D.: I stress outside the class experiences - internships, undergraduate research, and/or study abroad. I believe all help with earning potential. And maybe students should consider getting their PE.
What's a good job out of college for Materials Process Engineers?
Dr. Matt Howard Gordon Ph.D.: I think any technical job is a good job for engineers. You build experience, ideally in an area of interest, making it easier to get your next job.
What will help Materials Process Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. A. Tye Gardner Ph.D.: Getting a master's degree goes a long way to making candidates stand out and improving earnings. My recommendation is to tailor your MS degree to the specific field you're interested in working in, because employers really want to see candidates that are passionate about the field, and very few people survive a graduate degree without at least a little passion. Available salary data indicates that if you choose an affordable program (let's just say Weber State University), it takes only a few years to pay off the added cost, increases starting salaries, and dramatically improves long-term earning potential. Moreover, you can find electrical engineers with MBAs at C-level positions all over the country. It turns out being an EE makes you a good candidate for business leadership.
What technical skills for a Materials Process Engineer stand out to employers?
Rick Wise Ph.D.: Materials Science and Engineering graduates with MS and/or PhD degrees are expected to have a working knowledge of materials characterization equipment and how to interpret measurement results. Most will have an in-depth knowledge of materials used in a particular field (electronics, photonics, nanomaterials, energy, biological, etc.), in the fabricatoin/processing of those materials, and how to control and optimize the properties to meet the desired application. Especially valued is the capability to combine that knowledge with creativity to bring about innovations which help solve problems and create markets.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Materials Process Engineers?
Rick Wise Ph.D.: We are a graduate program where students must complete research in order to receive their MS or PhD degree. Except those involved in computational materials science, most of our students will have effectively lost 6-9 months of time in their research labs due to COVID-19 access restrictions and limitations on number of students allowed in the lab. Although, I do not believe this will necessarily be an enduring impact, it will delay graduation timelines for many of them by 1-2 semesters. Consequently, one enduring impact will be the lost salary from this delay in entering the job market.
What's a day at work look like for a Materials Process Engineer?
Rick Wise Ph.D.: Materials Science and Engineering jobs spread across many industries but typically include hands-on, in-person activities in materials synthesis, characterization, development, and manufacture. As in academic environments, COVID restrictions in industry and government lab environments will necessarily slow the learning curve as recent graduates transition into these jobs. Although by necessity, the availability and quality of virtual training has improved, it does not replace the value of hands-on training and in-person mentoring while learning the required tasks of the job. Several recent graduates have had most interaction with their new co-workers online which changes the dynamics of the socialization process into the company culture. Many companies have learned to adapt, made sure new hires are engaged, and made changes to allow safe return to the work environment. This hybrid arrangement seems to be the norm at present.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Materials Process Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Junghyun Cho Ph.D.: I think we will see more jobs in the field of autonomous systems, data science, and biomedical engineering because of the pandemic. Materials science and engineering will play a critical role in or be closely related to these fields.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Materials Process Engineers?
Junghyun Cho Ph.D.: The application of machine learning to materials science is growing, so any courses related to machine learning and data science can be beneficial. Traditionally biomaterials and biomedical engineering topics are not covered much in the materials science curriculum, but the courses covering these topics will be of use. In materials science, there are not many licenses that can be pursued before graduation.
What's a good job out of college for Materials Process Engineers?
Junghyun Cho Ph.D.: Manufacturing fields in automobiles, electronics, and energy sectors provide a good opportunity for the materials science graduates. These fields not only offer a well-paid position but also an opportunities for further growing into a managerial position or going to the graduate school for the advanced degrees.
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry Program Coordinator, Assistant ChairUniversity of Houston - Downtown
College of Sciences and Technology
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Materials Process Engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.: Texas is a good place for Chemistry graduates, particularly the city of Houston, which houses the largest medical center in the world, and the largest petroleum industry hub in the world. Most of our graduates find employment in the oil industry but also in those companies that provide services to the petroleum industry, such as chemical supply, waste disposal, chemical safety, etc. Our graduates also find employment in the medical research field, in research labs such as the famous UT Anderson Cancer Center.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Materials Process Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.: Chemistry graduates can work in a broad spectrum of fields: education, government agencies, research laboratories, and industry (oil, chemical, healthcare, pharmaceutical), and these jobs should still be viable options to Chemistry majors, even during the pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, I anticipate a greater number of opportunities arising in the pharmaceutical industry and the drug discovery field.
What skills stand out on Materials Process Engineer resumes?
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.: Apart from a good foundation in the chemistry discipline, skills that will stand out on resumes include: experience in various analytical techniques, excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing, ability to work collaboratively (team player), and the ability to think critically to find solutions to problems (problem solving). Another valuable skill nowadays would be to be competent in the use of technology for communication purposes (Zoom, etc.).
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWichita State University
School of Accountancy, Barton School of Business
What experience really stands out on Materials Process Engineer resumes?
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.: Employers are looking for people who can integrate in multi-disciplinary environments to solve complex problems. They are looking for resumes that show quick learning. Such resumes will permanently be in great demand. Because the world is interconnected much more than it ever was, employees today will deal with customers, supply-chains, and fellow employees who are spread all over the world. It means that an experience that showcases the global perspective will be in demand over the long-term.
James Swisher
Director of Continuing EducationInstitute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
What general advice would you give to a Materials Process Engineer?
James Swisher: 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.