Careers in Materials Science
Material scientists are at the forefront of research in developing new materials for applications in infrastructure, transportation, technology, and much more. A degree in materials science allows for a career in sectors such as manufacturing, research, aerospace, coatings, biomedical systems, and technology. Changes in the chemical and atomic structure leads to new materials with improved properties such as toughness, flexibility, hardness, etc. Materials science research also pushes the processing and synthesis of materials to make them more reliable, sustainable, and economic.
Since materials science combines the study of chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics and biology, careers in materials science include product/process development scientist, design engineer, and technical sales engineer.
According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, industries with the highest levels of employment in materials science are Scientific R&D service and chemical manufacturing. The mean annual wage is $104,450 with the highest materials scientists employed in Massachusetts and Washington.