Program Codes
Employment Percentage
-12.35955056
SOC ID
19-2032
SOC Title
Materials Scientists
ONET ID
19-2032.00
ONET Concat ID
19203200
Median Salary
113734.4
EMSI Interest Area Term
Ed Level High School
0
Ed Level Certificate
4.76
Ed Level Some College
0
Ed Level Associates
0
Ed Level Bachelors
38.099998
Ed Level Masters
33.330002
Ed Level Doctors
23.809999
Typical Ed Level
a Bachelor's degree
Career Description
Research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and synthetic or composite materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. 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. Includes glass scientists, ceramic scientists, metallurgical scientists, and polymer scientists.
Core Tasks
- 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.
- 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.
- Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special characteristics.
- Devise testing methods to evaluate the effects of various conditions on particular materials.
- Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.
- Perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys, and their responses to applied forces.
- Recommend materials for reliable performance in various environments.
- Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
- 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.
- Confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs.
- Write research papers for publication in scientific journals.
- Supervise and monitor production processes to ensure efficient use of equipment, timely changes to specifications, and project completion within time frame and budget.
- Visit suppliers of materials or users of products to gather specific information.
Start Annual Earnings
47195.2
Top Annual Earnings
177465.59
EMSI Career Title Slug
materials-scientist