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The differences between materials research engineers and chemical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemical engineer has an average salary of $89,449, which is higher than the $87,100 average annual salary of a materials research engineer.
The top three skills for a materials research engineer include materials research, research projects and characterization techniques. The most important skills for a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Materials Research Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,100 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $41.88 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 82,912 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A materials research engineer researches, processes, and develops test materials used to create a wide range of products. They must be good in analytical, mechanical, and math skills. They are likely to perform in their role such as formulating their own project concepts, executing technology projects about the development of novel polymer fiber-reinforced composites, and identifying unknown material compositions. Also, they implement powder processing equipment and manufacture tools to improve their efficiency and quality.
A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink. It is their job to assist in designing new chemical processes and make improvements. They implement fresh ideas to improve standard quality and efficiency. They must be good planners and schedulers of project activities to help chemical technicians to achieve their project objectives and provide technical support to maintain safe, stable, and reliable operations.
Materials research engineers and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Research Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,100 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $111,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beaverton, OR | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Texas |
| Best paying company | Nike | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a materials research engineer and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Materials Research Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Materials Science And Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between materials research engineers' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Materials Research Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.6% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 21.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |