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General Metallurgical Engineering

Types of Degrees General Metallurgical Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Metallurgical Engineering have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	1
Bachelor’s Degree	125
Master’s Degree	29
Doctor’s Degree	9

What General Metallurgical Engineering Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Metallurgical Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a General Metallurgical 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.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to General Metallurgical Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Metallurgical Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Metallurgical Engineering professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Metallurgical Engineering graduates include:

• Petroleum Engineering Professor
• Environmental Engineering Professor
• Engineering Lecturer
• Engineering Faculty Member
• Robotics Instructor
• Marine Engineering Professor
• Drawing Instructor
• Engineering Fundamentals Instructor
• Ship Construction Teacher
• Industrial Engineering Professor
• Highway Engineering Teacher
• Automotive Engineering Teacher
• Refrigeration Engineering Teacher
• Radar Engineering Teacher
• Mechanical Drawing Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	40.6%
Bachelor’s degree	17.5%
Post-master’s certificate	12.8%
Master’s degree	12.2%
Post-doctoral training	12.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.3%
First professional degree	1.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Metallurgical Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 73.8% of General Metallurgical Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	43	26.2%
Men	121	73.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	109	66.5%
Asian	3	1.8%
Hispanic or Latino	21	12.8%
Black or African American	3	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.6%
Two or More Races	5	3.0%
Race Unknown	7	4.3%
International Students	15	9.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Metallurgical Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of General Metallurgical 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	$74,103
4 years	$85,392
5 years	$90,051

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $90,051 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in General Metallurgical Engineering Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, General Metallurgical Engineering graduates earn a median of $85,392 four years after completion — roughly 125% 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
Metallurgical Engineering	14.20
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.0601
Materials Engineering	14.1801
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
Architectural Engineering	14.0401
Astronautical Engineering	14.0202
Biochemical Engineering	14.4301

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.