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Other Materials Sciences

Types of Degrees Other Materials Sciences Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Other Materials Sciences have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	6
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Other Materials Sciences Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Materials Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Materials Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific 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	—
Clinical trial management software	Data base user interface and query software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Materials Sciences graduates include:

• Science Teacher
• College Teacher
• Medical Secretary Teacher
• University Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Weight Control Lecturer
• College Instructor
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Survey Research Teacher
• Foreign Service Teacher
• Flight Simulation Instructor
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Lecturer
• Computer Technology Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	53.5%
Master’s degree	12.0%
Postsecondary certificate	7.6%
Some college courses	6.1%
Post-doctoral training	6.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.6%
Doctoral degree	4.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Materials Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 70% of Other Materials Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3	30.0%
Men	7	70.0%

How Much Do Other Materials Sciences Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Other Materials Sciences 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	$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 Other Materials Sciences Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other Materials Sciences 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 Science	40.1001
Physical Sciences, Other	40.9999

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.