Vocational Index

Career

Materials scientists

Study materials and develop better ones.

$117,790
Median pay
+8.3%
Job growth, 2025–35
600
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
  • Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.
  • Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
  • Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications.
  • Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+4.9%2025–35 edition+8.3%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 600 → 600 openings a year.

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

Ideas & analysis
6.6
Objects & tools
5.8
Information & systems
4.2
Creation & expression
2.2
Persuasion & leadership
1.9
People & care
1.4

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then objects & tools?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $117,790 a year and 600 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • Textile ScienceCIP 19.0904
  • Materials ScienceCIP 40.1001
  • Materials ChemistryCIP 40.1002
  • Materials Sciences, OtherCIP 40.1099

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

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Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.