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General Materials Science

Types of Degrees General Materials Science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Materials Science may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	161
Master’s Degree	275
Doctor’s Degree	188

What General Materials Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in General Materials Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a General Materials Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 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 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Materials Science 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 4.9 / 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 Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	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 Science professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Materials Science graduates include:

• Associate Professor
• Engineering Professor
• Geological Engineering Teacher
• Drafting Teacher
• Design Teacher
• Lecturer
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• College Professor
• Circuits and Robotics Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Chemical Engineering Professor
• Ceramic Engineering Professor
• Motion and Time Study Teacher
• Ship Construction Teacher
• Chemical Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	38.1%
Bachelor’s degree	18.3%
Post-master’s certificate	12.3%
Master’s degree	11.5%
Post-doctoral training	11.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.9%
Postsecondary certificate	1.5%
First professional degree	1.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Some college courses	0.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Materials Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 64.4% of General Materials Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	222	35.6%
Men	402	64.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	222	35.6%
Asian	90	14.4%
Hispanic or Latino	35	5.6%
Black or African American	11	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	16	2.6%
Race Unknown	14	2.2%
International Students	234	37.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Materials Science Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of General Materials Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$72,216
4 years	$78,243
5 years	$89,182

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $89,182 — roughly 23% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Materials Science Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for General Materials Science. 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	1	3

^{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 Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Materials Science graduates earn a median of $78,243 four years after completion — roughly 106% 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 Sciences	40.10
Materials Chemistry	40.1002
Materials Sciences, Other	40.1099

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.