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Find the best materials science and engineering jobs for you

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Materials science and engineering majors have a hard time finding a job right out of college. Graduates with a materials science and engineering degree are entering a strange job market and it can be hard to find your first job in materials science and engineering. To make finding a job easier, Zippia scanned through 3,542 materials science and engineering major resumes to identify the jobs materials science and engineering majors most prefer.

Highest-paying jobs with a materials science and engineering degree

  1. Starting salary
    $74,000
    Job openings
    187,910
    Job description:
    Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.
  2. Starting salary
    $69,000
    Job openings
    79,795
    Top locations:
    Huntsville, AL;  Dallas, TX;  Seattle, WA;  
    Job description:
    Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a wide range of products, from computer chips and aircraft wings to golf clubs and biomedical devices. They study the properties and structures of metals, ceramics, plastics, composites, nanomaterials (extremely small substances), and other substances to create new materials that meet certain mechanical, electrical, and chemical requirements.
  3. Starting salary
    $65,000
    Job openings
    89,717
    Top locations:
    Houston, TX;  Lexington, KY;  Cambridge, MA;  
    Job description:
    Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a wide range of products, from computer chips and aircraft wings to golf clubs and biomedical devices. They study the properties and structures of metals, ceramics, plastics, composites, nanomaterials (extremely small substances), and other substances to create new materials that meet certain mechanical, electrical, and chemical requirements.
  4. Starting salary
    $62,000
    Job openings
    66,937
    Job description:
    Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.
  5. Starting salary
    $61,000
    Job openings
    96,838
    Job description:
    Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.
  6. Starting salary
    $60,000
    Job openings
    115,384
    Job description:
    A Manufacturing Engineer plans, designs, sets up, and monitors the manufacturing processes. They work in various sectors, such as plastics, oil, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.
  7. Starting salary
    $59,000
    Job openings
    46,795
    Top locations:
    Niskayuna, NY;  New York, NY;  Oakwood, OH;  
    Job description:
    Chemists and materials scientists study substances at the atomic and molecular levels and the ways in which the substances interact with one another. They use their knowledge to develop new and improved products and to test the quality of manufactured goods.
  8. Starting salary
    $55,000
    Job openings
    176,689
    Job description:
    Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.
  9. Starting salary
    $37,000
    Job openings
    111,343
    Job description:
    Industrial engineering technicians help industrial engineers implement designs to use personnel, materials, and machines effectively in factories, stores, healthcare organizations, repair shops, and offices. They prepare machinery and equipment layouts, plan workflows, conduct statistical production studies, and analyze production costs.
  10. Starting salary
    $27,000
    Job openings
    97,722
    Job description:
    Civil engineering technicians help civil engineers to plan, design, and build highways, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure projects. They also help to plan, design, and build commercial, industrial, residential, and land development projects.

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What can you do with a materials science and engineering degree?

Zippia created a materials science and engineering career map to help recent graduates find career paths. It's based on real resumes from job seekers with bachelor's degrees in materials science and engineering. The map shows the most common jobs materials science and engineering majors take throughout the first four jobs of their careers.

Materials Science And Engineering major jobs

Average materials science and engineering major salary

Materials science and engineering major salaries vary significantly by industry. Graduates with a materials science and engineering bachelor's degree who work in the health care industry have an average salary of $84,279, while those graduates who work in the education industry have an average salary of $38,316. If pay is important to you, then you should look for materials science and engineering jobs in the health care industry.

Average materials science and engineering major salary by industry

RankIndustryAverage materials science and engineering salary Materials science and engineering salary range
1Health Care
$84,279
$47k
$102k
2Technology
$81,463
$47k
$102k
3Automotive
$70,212
$47k
$102k
4Manufacturing
$70,026
$47k
$102k
5Energy
$62,721
$47k
$102k

Entry-level materials science and engineering major jobs

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Materials Science And Engineering internships

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