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General Materials Engineering

Types of Degrees General Materials Engineering Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Materials Engineering have the option of earning 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 General Materials Engineering Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General 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 General 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 General 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, General 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 General Materials Engineering professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Materials Engineering graduates include:

• Metallurgical Engineering Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Professor
• Electronic Science Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Marine Engineering Teacher
• Civil Engineering Professor
• Geological Engineering Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Plastics Engineering Teacher
• Engineering Instructor
• Aeronautical Engineering Teacher
• Research Professor
• Highway Engineering Teacher
• College Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General 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 General Materials Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 66.9% of General 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 General 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 General Materials Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General 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 General Materials Engineering Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for General 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 General Materials Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General 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
Materials Engineering	14.18
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.0601
Construction Engineering	14.3301
Manufacturing Engineering	14.3601
Mechanical Engineering	14.1901
Metallurgical Engineering	14.2001
Polymer/Plastics Engineering	14.3201
Textile Sciences and Engineering	14.2801
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General	14.0201
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other	14.0299
Agricultural Engineering	14.0301

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.