Materials Engineers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2131 · O*NET 17-2131.00
Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.
Materials Engineers fall under the Architecture and Engineering category in the U.S. occupational classification. Materials Engineers earn a median salary of $108,310 per year, ranking in the top 9% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +5.7% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do materials engineers earn?
The median annual wage for materials engineers is $108,310. That puts materials engineers at #70 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $68,040 |
| 25th percentile | $85,820 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $108,310 |
| 75th percentile | $138,370 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $172,000 |
| Median hourly wage | $52.07/hr |
Is materials engineers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for materials engineers is +5.7%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 23K positions in 2024 to 24K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do materials engineers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working materials engineers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
- 2.Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
- 3.Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
- 4.Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- 5.Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
- 6.Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
- 7.Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
- 8.Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
Top skills for materials engineers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become materials engineer?
The standard path into materials engineers begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about materials engineers
What is the median salary for materials engineers?
The median annual salary for materials engineers is $108,310 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is materials engineers a growing career?
BLS projects +5.7% growth for materials engineers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become materials engineer?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to materials engineers?
Related occupations within the Architecture and Engineering category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.