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Materials Chemistry

Types of Degrees Materials Chemistry Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	5
Doctor’s Degree	10

What Materials Chemistry Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Materials Chemistry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Materials Chemistry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Materials Chemistry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Minitab	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Materials Chemistry graduates include:

• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Research Director
• Clinical Manager
• Clinical Research Manager

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	37.7%
Master’s degree	17.2%
Post-doctoral training	12.1%
Doctoral degree	11.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.5%
Postsecondary certificate	5.1%
Some college courses	4.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Materials Chemistry?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 62.5% of Materials Chemistry degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6	37.5%
Men	10	62.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4	25.0%
Asian	4	25.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1	6.2%
International Students	7	43.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Materials Chemistry Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Materials Chemistry 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.}

Is a Degree in Materials Chemistry Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Materials Chemistry 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 Science	40.1001
Materials Sciences, Other	40.1099
Analytical Chemistry	40.0502
Chemical Physics	40.0508
Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics	40.0512
Chemistry, General	40.0501
Chemistry, Other	40.0599
Environmental Chemistry	40.0509
Forensic Chemistry	40.0510
Inorganic Chemistry	40.0503
Organic Chemistry	40.0504

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.