Materials Engineers
Also called: Materials Research Engineer, Metallurgist, Process Engineer, Textile EngineerEvaluate 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 10 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 7.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 44% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $107,580 | $83,880 to $137,620 | 650 |
| Alaska | $123,360 | $84,240 to $134,550 | 70 |
| Arizona | $106,810 | $95,930 to $139,580 | 580 |
| Arkansas | $103,900 | $100,560 to $125,370 | 90 |
| California | $128,470 | $103,250 to $157,980 | 3,020 |
| Colorado | $124,030 | $94,640 to $164,630 | 810 |
| Connecticut | $122,300 | $104,420 to $137,130 | 420 |
| Delaware | $131,320 | $100,980 to $165,960 | 40 |
| Florida | $118,780 | $91,150 to $138,430 | 690 |
| Georgia | $100,840 | $80,180 to $129,740 | 700 |
| Idaho | $105,820 | $60,200 to $133,030 | 90 |
| Illinois | $126,620 | $91,570 to $136,710 | 290 |
| Indiana | $101,120 | $77,690 to $127,230 | 570 |
| Iowa | $64,270 | $62,390 to $98,730 | 200 |
| Kansas | $100,000 | $83,860 to $135,880 | 270 |
| Kentucky | $100,620 | $96,300 to $119,280 | 280 |
| Louisiana | $128,670 | $92,470 to $155,830 | 90 |
| Maine | $97,110 | $86,960 to $119,410 | 100 |
| Maryland | $140,640 | $109,970 to $173,720 | 740 |
| Massachusetts | $114,100 | $96,930 to $142,960 | 1,360 |
| Michigan | $94,050 | $75,010 to $123,180 | 810 |
| Minnesota | $106,220 | $100,690 to $147,630 | 150 |
| Mississippi | $78,700 | $72,620 to $126,050 | 100 |
| Missouri | $98,860 | $78,600 to $123,310 | 300 |
| Montana | $76,030 | $63,500 to $93,560 | 90 |
| Nebraska | $98,270 | $76,740 to $127,960 | 160 |
| Nevada | $99,010 | $85,380 to $131,980 | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $101,290 | $77,320 to $121,920 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $106,920 | $93,450 to $138,210 | 260 |
| New Mexico | $165,600 | $160,340 to $197,900 | 450 |
| New York | $125,900 | $88,380 to $162,770 | 590 |
| North Carolina | $104,240 | $86,400 to $127,560 | 640 |
| Ohio | $106,510 | $84,560 to $142,020 | 1,790 |
| Oklahoma | $99,950 | $78,290 to $120,580 | 240 |
| Oregon | $122,850 | $98,670 to $147,420 | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,030 | $76,760 to $128,360 | 720 |
| Rhode Island | $87,180 | $80,660 to $113,060 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $121,610 | $92,240 to $131,080 | 600 |
| Tennessee | $91,940 | $79,700 to $122,790 | 330 |
| Texas | $117,700 | $84,700 to $160,260 | 1,440 |
| Utah | $88,080 | $73,880 to $115,670 | 460 |
| Virginia | $116,720 | $83,840 to $137,400 | 620 |
| Washington | $139,840 | $122,960 to $176,290 | 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | $96,210 | $76,330 to $109,610 | 280 |
| Wyoming | $110,970 | $81,950 to $119,590 | 40 |
Nationally: $112,860. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 10 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality. | Not published |
| Not much | Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards. | Not published |
| Not much | Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| AI + software | Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists. | Not published |
| AI + software | Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions. | Not published |
| Not much | Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration. | Not published |
| Not much | Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary. | Not published |
| AI alone | Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Replicate the characteristics of materials and their components, using computers. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct training sessions on new material products, applications, or manufacturing methods for customers and their employees. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities, smelting or foundry operations, or nonmetallic materials production operations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Present technical information at conferences. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach in colleges and universities. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Design processing plants and equipment. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 24 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #10 Write material for artistic or commercial purposes
- #20 Present research or technical information
- #25 Communicate with others about specifications or project details
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan work activities | |||
| Assess compliance with environmental standards or regulations | |||
| Write material for artistic or commercial purposes | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Analyze performance of systems or equipment |
Show all 24 activities
| Develop models of systems, processes, or products | |||
| Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Resolve personnel or operational problems | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Manage control systems or activities | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Prepare proposals or grant applications | |||
| Direct scientific or technical activities | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Design industrial systems or equipment | |||
| Prepare industrial materials for processing or use |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report22%
- An explanation or answer21%
- An analysis or summary18%
- Advice or a recommendation11%
- A blog post or article5%
How they worked with Claude
61% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for materials engineers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 5,488 moves out
- 1 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 10%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 3 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 4%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 5 Industrial Production Managers High +2.6% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 7,063 moves in
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 8%
- 2 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 7%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 4 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 4%
- 5 Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Very high -1.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 4% associate's
- 80% bachelor's
- 4% master's
- 4% professional doctorate
- 8% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 25 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 7% high school
- 7% some college
- 6% associate's
- 53% bachelor's
- 18% master's
- 2% professional degree
- 7% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 580 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
5 programs, such as Ceramic Sciences and Engineering, Materials Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering.
See all
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Metallurgical Engineering
- Textile Sciences and Engineering
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (FOUNDRY METALLURGIST; MATERIALS ENGINEER). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Materials Engineers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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