Materials Engineering Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Materials Engineering major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Engineering, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Engineering, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$92,064

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$145,560

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$195,620

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 3.2%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$3,682,560

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Architectural and Engineering Managers
SOC: 11-9041
Occupation: Architectural and Engineering Managers
$167,740
210,340
N/A
N/A
Cost Estimators
SOC: 13-1051
Occupation: Cost Estimators
$77,070
219,530
N/A
N/A
Materials Engineers
SOC: 17-2131
Occupation: Materials Engineers
$108,310
22,770
N/A
N/A
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC: 25-1032
Occupation: Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
$106,120
39,910
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Materials Engineers

13.3%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$108,31022,770
2023$104,10024,630
2022$100,14021,510
2021$98,30021,530
2020$95,64024,740

Colleges offering Materials Engineering

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$23k

Earnings

$65k

University of Delaware

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$18k

Earnings

$66k

University of Notre Dame

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$30k

Earnings

$84k

Illinois Institute of Technology

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$26k

Earnings

$76k

Johns Hopkins University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$23k

Earnings

$96k