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Boston Career Explorer

Architecture and Engineering

Materials Engineers

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.

Also called: Automotive Sheet Metal Engineer, Ceramic Engineer, Extrusion Engineer, Materials Development Engineer, Materials Research Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer

Median pay in Greater Boston
$111,480
$53.60/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,020
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.3%
60 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$77,980$95,130$111,480$149,210$170,770

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
  • Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
  • Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
  • Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace.
  • Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
  • Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure65 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 74
  • Language-model AIOE 68
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 52

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is moderate, and little observed AI use shows up so far. AI tools may help with comparing material options, reviewing specifications, and analyzing test results. Running lab work, testing real materials, and solving hands-on problems across engineering fields still rely on people.

Likely to change

  • Comparing materials against design specs
  • Analyzing test and cost data

Still relies on people

  • Running and supervising lab tests
  • Solving hands-on problems with real materials

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

3 programs near Boston (plus 7 graduate)

Related occupations

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