Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between materials research engineers and research engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research engineer has an average salary of $96,945, 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 research engineer are python, java, and software development.
| Materials Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,100 | $96,945 |
| Hourly rate | $41.88 | $46.61 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 82,912 | 136,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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.
Research Engineers are responsible for a wide range of duties, including researching and developing new technologies and prototypes, and finding solutions to improve techniques, procedures, and technologies.
Materials research engineers and research engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,100 | $96,945 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $111,000 | Between $67,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beaverton, OR | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Nike | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a materials research engineer and a research engineer in terms of educational background:
| Materials Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Materials Science And Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between materials research engineers' and research engineers' demographics:
| Materials Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 5% |