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The differences between welding engineers and material engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material engineer has an average salary of $86,258, which is higher than the $84,923 average annual salary of a welding engineer.
The top three skills for a welding engineer include arc welding, GMAW and GTAW. The most important skills for a material engineer are DOD, failure analysis, and data analysis.
| Welding Engineer | Material Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,923 | $86,258 |
| Hourly rate | $40.83 | $41.47 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 39,405 | 89,717 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A welding engineer is responsible for planning and monitoring welding projects and assisting the welding team by facilitating procedures and analyzing designs for construction. Welding engineers consult with the clients for their needs and requirements, including their budget limitations, to identify cost-efficient resources with high-quality standards. They also conduct quality control processes and define failure sources for an immediate resolution to avoid potential hazards and operational delays. A welding engineer must have excellent communication and analytical skills, especially in measuring the scope of the project and meet deadlines efficiently.
Materials engineers are responsible for developing, processing, and testing materials used to create a wide variety of products. These professionals study and evaluate the properties and structure of different materials, including plastics, metal, ceramics, and composites, to create new products. They also perform other tasks that include providing technical advice on suitable materials, diagnosing faults, and providing advice on planning and conducting inspections, repairs, and maintenance. Additionally, they may also oversee the work of other scientists like technicians and evaluate the technical and economic factors surrounding the design aspects of products.
Welding engineers and material engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welding Engineer | Material Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,923 | $86,258 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $138,000 | Between $65,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | T.D. Williamson | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a welding engineer and a material engineer in terms of educational background:
| Welding Engineer | Material Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Industrial Technology | Materials Science And Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Washington | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between welding engineers' and material engineers' demographics:
| Welding Engineer | Material Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7% | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 13.3% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 2.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.6% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |