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Job outlook for metallurgical engineers in the United States
Metallurgical engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected metallurgical engineer job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 1,300 new jobs for metallurgical engineers are projected over the next decade.
Metallurgical engineer salaries have increased 2% for metallurgical engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,798 metallurgical engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 34,491 active metallurgical engineer job openings in the US.
The average metallurgical engineer salary is $82,916.
Are metallurgical engineer jobs in demand?
Metallurgical engineer job and salary trends over time
Metallurgical engineer jobs over time
Metallurgical engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,798 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,259 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 12,206 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 12,256 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 12,379 | 0.00% |
Average metallurgical engineer salary over time
Metallurgical engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $82,916 | $39.86 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $80,939 | $38.91 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $80,099 | $38.51 | --2.3% |
| 2022 | $82,023 | $39.43 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $80,896 | $38.89 | +2.2% |
Metallurgical engineer jobs by state
Most common states for metallurgical engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 227 | 33% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,073 | 16% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 130 | 14% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,117 | 13% |
| 5 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 540 | 13% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 171 | 13% |
| 7 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,552 | 12% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 649 | 12% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 381 | 12% |
| 10 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 827 | 11% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 674 | 11% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 611 | 11% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 613 | 9% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 312 | 9% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 91 | 9% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 58 | 9% |
| 17 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 801 | 8% |
| 18 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 372 | 8% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 132 | 8% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 59 | 8% |
Most common cities for metallurgical engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe | 1 | 3% | $75,533 |
| 2 | Columbus | 2 | 1% | $89,153 |
| 3 | Saint Louis | 2 | 1% | $68,611 |
| 4 | Hawthorne | 1 | 1% | $90,158 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | 1 | 0% | $72,878 |
Metallurgical Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of metallurgical engineer experts
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Southern Mississippi
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
University of Arkansas
Wichita State University
Omar Saleh
Chair, Materials DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
Materials Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Metallurgical 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 general advice would you give to a Metallurgical 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 are the biggest trends we'll see in the Metallurgical 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.
How have salaries changed over time for Metallurgical 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.
What technical skills for a Metallurgical 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 Metallurgical 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 Metallurgical 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.
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWichita State University
School of Accountancy, Barton School of Business
What experience really stands out on Metallurgical 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.