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Materials Engineers

Also called: Materials Engineer, Materials Research Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer, Metallurgist

Where in the military? In the military: see titles from the Air Force, Army, or Navy.

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What they do:
Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.
On the job, you would:
  • Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
  • Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
  • Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology
  • product and service development
  • design
Math and Science
  • chemistry
  • physics
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • manufacture and distribution of products
Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Abilities

Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
  • group things in different ways
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
Math
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
Visual Understanding
  • quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Attention to Detail
  • Innovation
  • Persistence
  • Achievement/Effort

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software
  • Minitab
  • The MathWorks MATLAB Hot Technology
Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology In Demand
Computer aided design CAD software
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Hot Technology
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
doctoral degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Average Outlook
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
Salary
$98,300
$60,580
$161,080
Check out my state Local Salary Info Find Jobs

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See more details at O*NET OnLine about materials engineers.