Materials engineer
Studies materials and designs machines and methods to make them, such as metals, plastics, glass, and ceramics, for products with special needs.
Will AI replace materials engineer jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Medium. More AI overlap than 63 in 100 jobs. AI helps with some tasks, like paperwork or first drafts. People still do the core of the job. 0% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Use computers to copy the features of materials and their parts
- Handle management tasks like proposals, budgets, labor costs, and reports
- Choose the best ways to shape and join materials
What stays human
- Supervise production and testing in places like metal refineries and foundries
- Train customers and their staff on new materials and methods
- Change the properties of metal alloys using heat and mechanical treatments
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: +7.5%. Typical pay: $112,860 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
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