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Also called automotive sheet metal engineer, ceramic design engineer, ceramic engineer and ceramic research engineer.
$112,860
Median pay a year
22,770
People do this work
6
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Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
A Materials Engineer resume, filled in
Every line below comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Materials Engineer
1 certification
Summary
Materials engineer evaluating and developing machinery and processes for manufacturing materials, analyzing product failure data, conducting quality tests, and modifying metal alloys for specialized applications
Experience
Materials Engineer
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Analyzed product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions
Conducted tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality
Designed and directed the testing or control of processing procedures
Modified properties of metal alloys using thermal and mechanical treatments
Supervised production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities
Guided technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices
Skills
Core Skills
Evaluating plans or specifications, Preparing detailed work plans, Monitoring productivity, Testing material characteristics, Evaluating technical data, Conducting failure analyses, Determining operational methods, Preparing materials for processing, Creating engineering models
Technical Skills
Designing industrial processing systems
Education
Bachelor's Degree Your college, Year
Certifications & Licenses
State license for this work Your state board, Year
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Analyzed product failure data and test resultsDesigned and directed testing of processing proceduresMonitored material performance and evaluated deteriorationConducted tests on raw materials and finished productsReviewed new product plans and recommended material selectionSupervised the work of technologists and technicians
becomes
On your resume
Analyzed product failure data and laboratory test results to identify causes of material issues
Monitored material performance and evaluated deterioration to ensure compliance with specifications
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Show what solutions you developed from your analysis
The line
Analyzed product failure data and laboratory test results to identify causes of material issues, leading to improved product reliability through targeted design changes
Show what solutions you developed from your analysis
Pick one that fits
Improved product reliability through targeted design changesReduced failure rates by adjusting material specificationsEnhanced testing protocols based on analysis findings
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Confirm what improved in material quality from your monitoring
The line
Monitored material performance and evaluated deterioration to ensure compliance with specifications
Confirm what improved in material quality from your monitoring
Pick one that fits
Increased consistency in material quality over timeReduced defects in final products through better monitoringEnhanced safety standards by identifying deterioration early
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
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What it is made of
Skills for a Materials Engineer resume
What this work is made of. Rung offers these and keeps the ones you claim.
What are you good at?
Evaluating plans or specifications
Preparing detailed work plans
Monitoring productivity
Testing material characteristics
Evaluating technical data
Conducting failure analyses
Determining operational methods
Preparing materials for processing
Designing industrial processing systems
Creating engineering models
Presenting research results
Preparing proposal documents
The work itself
What a Materials Engineer does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
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.
What it pays
How much does a Materials Engineer make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$88,080
Median
$112,860
75th percentile
$142,720
About 22,770 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
AK
$84,240
$123,360
$134,550
AL
$83,880
$107,580
$137,620
AR
$100,560
$103,900
$125,370
AZ
$95,930
$106,810
$139,580
CA
$103,250
$128,470
$157,980
CO
$94,640
$124,030
$164,630
CT
$104,420
$122,300
$137,130
DE
$100,980
$131,320
$165,960
FL
$91,150
$118,780
$138,430
GA
$80,180
$100,840
$129,740
IA
$62,390
$64,270
$98,730
ID
$60,200
$105,820
$133,030
IL
$91,570
$126,620
$136,710
IN
$77,690
$101,120
$127,230
KS
$83,860
$100,000
$135,880
KY
$96,300
$100,620
$119,280
LA
$92,470
$128,670
$155,830
MA
$96,930
$114,100
$142,960
MD
$109,970
$140,640
$173,720
ME
$86,960
$97,110
$119,410
MI
$75,010
$94,050
$123,180
MN
$100,690
$106,220
$147,630
MO
$78,600
$98,860
$123,310
MS
$72,620
$78,700
$126,050
MT
$63,500
$76,030
$93,560
NC
$86,400
$104,240
$127,560
NE
$76,740
$98,270
$127,960
NH
$77,320
$101,290
$121,920
NJ
$93,450
$106,920
$138,210
NM
$160,340
$165,600
$197,900
NV
$85,380
$99,010
$131,980
NY
$88,380
$125,900
$162,770
OH
$84,560
$106,510
$142,020
OK
$78,290
$99,950
$120,580
OR
$98,670
$122,850
$147,420
PA
$76,760
$98,030
$128,360
RI
$80,660
$87,180
$113,060
SC
$92,240
$121,610
$131,080
TN
$79,700
$91,940
$122,790
TX
$84,700
$117,700
$160,260
UT
$73,880
$88,080
$115,670
VA
$83,840
$116,720
$137,400
WA
$122,960
$139,840
$176,290
WI
$76,330
$96,210
$109,610
WY
$81,950
$110,970
$119,590
Other names
Other names for this job
automotive sheet metal engineer, ceramic design engineer, ceramic engineer, ceramic research engineer, ceramics test engineer, corrosion engineer, design engineer, engineer, extrusion engineer, failure analysis engineer, forensic materials engineer, foundry process engineer.
More names for this work
glass science engineer, material science and testing engineer, materials development engineer, materials research engineer, metallurgical engineer, plastics engineer, plating engineer, polymer engineer, project engineer, research engineer, smelting engineer, stress engineer, supplier quality engineer, SQE, test engineer, testing engineer, welding engineer, extractive metallurgist, foundry metallurgist, green building materials designer, material analyst, metallographer, metallurgical specialist, metallurgist, physical metallurgist, process metallurgist.
If you served
Military jobs this work counts as
From the crosswalk the US Department of Labor publishes itself. If one of these was your job, this page is about the civilian work it maps to.
6999 Staff Weapons Material Officer
7285 Staff Machinery Material Officer
6715 Weapons Material Officer (General)
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This page is about the occupation Materials Engineers. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.