Materials Scientists

Median salary

$117,790

Average salary

$126,180

Employment

8,470

Projected growth

4.9% growth

Annual openings

600

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

What Materials Scientists Do

Research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and synthetic or composite materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications. Includes glass scientists, ceramic scientists, metallurgical scientists, and polymer scientists.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 1.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 4 of 5

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.8/5
Chemistryimportance 4.6/5
Physicsimportance 4.4/5
Mathematicsimportance 4.3/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.8/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.7/5
Designimportance 3.6/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail4.9/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
Telephone Conversations4.3/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.3/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.1/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors96% skill match
Medical Dosimetrists96% skill match
Soil and Plant Scientists96% skill match
Animal Scientists96% skill match
Prosthodontists95% skill match
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians95% skill match
Fire Inspectors and Investigators95% skill match
Materials Engineers95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.6/5
Persuasionimportance 3.1/5
Operations Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Systems Evaluationimportance 3.1/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

ANSYS LS-DYNA
ANSYS Multiphysics
Accelrys Materials Studio
Advanced Chemistry Development Analytical Laboratory
Bruker AXS EVA
Bruker AXS LEPTOS
Bruker AXS TOPAS
Chempute Software HSC Chemistry

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Intellectual Curiosity
Attention to Detail
Innovation
Dependability
Achievement Orientation
Cautiousness
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

InvestigativeHigh
RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
ArtisticLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.