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Materials Engineering

Types of Degrees Materials Engineering Majors Are Earning

Those studying Materials Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	1,194
Master’s Degree	1,182
Doctor’s Degree	727

What Materials Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Materials Engineering emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Materials Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Materials Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Materials Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Materials Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Materials Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Materials Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Materials Engineering graduates include:

• Motion and Time Study Teacher
• Electronics Teacher
• Electronic Science Teacher
• Applied Mechanics Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Teacher
• Robotics Instructor
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Adjunct Engineering Instructor
• Radar Engineering Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Machine Design Teacher
• Instructor
• Mechanical Engineering Professor
• Engineering Fundamentals Instructor
• Associate Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Materials Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	37.5%
Bachelor’s degree	22.4%
Post-master’s certificate	11.8%
Master’s degree	11.6%
Post-doctoral training	11.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.9%
First professional degree	1.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
Postsecondary certificate	0.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Materials Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 66.9% of Materials Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,036	33.1%
Men	2,093	66.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Materials Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,289	41.2%
Asian	344	11.0%
Hispanic or Latino	271	8.7%
Black or African American	71	2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.0%
Two or More Races	124	4.0%
Race Unknown	82	2.6%
International Students	945	30.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Materials Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Materials Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$74,307
4 years	$80,020
5 years	$89,395

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $89,395 — roughly 20% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Materials Engineering Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Materials Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	8	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Materials Engineering Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Materials Engineering graduates earn a median of $80,020 four years after completion — roughly 111% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Engineering	14
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	14.02
Agricultural Engineering	14.03
Architectural Engineering	14.04
Biochemical Engineering	14.43
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.06
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Civil Engineering	14.08
Computer Engineering	14.09
Construction Engineering	14.33

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.