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

What is a materials technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Materials technicians work in a variety of industries, from telecommunications to construction, from clothing to furniture. They work to find the highest quality, most cost-efficient goods for their company. By testing materials, they learn what materials can best create and improve their company's products.

Working as a materials technician, you will research the chemical consistency of materials to understand their properties, their potential risks, and environmental impact. You will conduct tests under different conditions to discover a material's hidden features and to fully grasp how it can be used or improved.

Collaborating with engineers and scientists, you will invent new functions for some materials. Together, you create reports on your findings to offer to companies which inform them on how to develop more efficient processes and more durable materials.

ScoreMaterials TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,721

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.6

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.90%

Asian 6.43%

Black or African American 10.24%

Hispanic or Latino 18.30%

Unknown 5.32%

White 58.81%

Gender

female 27.44%

male 72.56%

Age - 35

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 - 35

Stress level

4.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a materials technician

Explore materials technician education requirements

Most common materials technician degrees

Bachelor's

38.3 %

Associate

26.0 %

High School Diploma

22.7 %

Start to develop specific materials technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	9.70%
Customer Service	8.62%
Patient Care	7.81%
Data Entry	7.80%
Asphalt	4.83%

Research materials technician duties and responsibilities

Manage ISO documentation for corporate purchasing.
Perform construction surveying and Geotechnical investigations as required.
Direct inbound and outbound logistics operations, such as transportation and warehouse activities, safety performance, and logistics quality management.
Lumber, shingles, cement blocks, and etc.

Prepare your materials technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your materials technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a materials technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable materials technician resume templates

Build a professional materials technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your materials technician resume.