Career as a Materials Engineer – Ultimate Guide

In today’s time, we don’t sob when our phones drop on the floor, thanks to the gorilla glass protection in many of our phones. Ever wondered who invented gorilla glass? Corning, is a multinational company that specializes in materials engineering. 

If you are someone who wants to bring the best out of materials and create substantial innovations, then Materials Engineering also known as, “Modern day alchemy” might just be for you!

Read our blog to understand the career as a materials engineer, the roles and responsibilities, career outlook, top industries for materials engineers, educational qualifications and lastly, references to books one can read on materials science. 

What does a Materials Engineer do?

A materials engineer understands the composition and properties of a material to manufacture, test, and process it. Composites, metals, ceramics, and polymers are some materials that they can work with. 

A career as a materials engineer involves various activities such as test execution, material and data analysis, troubleshooting, etc. The nature of the job demands the following roles and responsibilities:

• Select the optimal material combination for given purposes
• Material testing to determine its resistance to heat, corrosion, or chemical attack
• Examine materials for certain characteristics (such as electrical conductivity, durability, and renewability)
• Examine materials for certain characteristics (such as electrical conductivity, durability, and renewability)
• Construct prototypes
• Think about how any product or procedure may affect waste and other environmental pollution issues.
• Provide advice on a plant’s ability to adapt to new processes and materials and fix issues that arise during production or with the end product, such as those brought on by normal wear and tear or a change in environment.
• Oversee the production and building process’s quality assurance
• Control the activities of the staff members and technicians in materials engineering
• Think about the time and financial implications of the expenses of the materials used and the alternatives.

Job Roles for a Materials Engineer

Based on your specialization or area of expertise there are different job roles one can opt for after completing a degree in material science and engineering. Here are a few roles one can opt for:

• Metallurgical engineers:
  A metallurgist works with the extraction and processing of various metals and alloys.  To create a variety of useful goods and materials with specific features, metallurgists explore and analyze the performance of metals such as iron, steel, aluminium, nickel, and copper.

• Product/process development scientist:
  As a process development scientist, your goal will be to maximize the effectiveness of production systems. 
  As a product development scientist, you will collaborate with research scientists to generate new concepts and produce scientific discoveries.
  Your efforts will help create new goods and enhance existing ones.

• Forensic materials engineers:
  Forensic materials engineers concentrate on the physical evidence left behind at crime or accident scenes, looking for flaws that can explain why an accident happened or the origin of a particular material to identify a criminal.

• Composites Engineers:
  Composites engineers create materials with unique, designed qualities for use in aviation, automotive, and other industries.

• Technical sales engineer:
  A certain amount of technical competence is required for a variety of products, thus a technical sales engineer combines technical knowledge along with sales abilities to offer advice and support.

• Materials Engineer: 
  To progress technology or produce new goods, materials engineers work with a variety of materials to enhance current performance or develop new materials. You’ll need to comprehend the qualities and behaviours of various substances, from raw ingredients to final products. 

Career path for a Materials Engineer 

Future innovators who find chemistry and physics fascinating should think about taking a career as a materials engineer by studying materials science. This field focuses on developing materials with helpful features, such as heat resistance, and occasionally entails increasing the advantageous properties of already-existing materials.

Here are a few Career pathways one can adopt:

Path I:

• Min. of 55% in 10 + 2 or equivalent in the science stream
• Qualify JEE Mains, CET, or other entrance exams
• B.Tech in Material Science and Engineering or related field
• M.Tech in Material engineering or related field.

Path II:

• Min. of 55% in 10 + 2 or equivalent in the science stream
• B.Sc/ B.Sc (Hons.) in Material Science (offered mostly abroad)
• M.Sc/ MS in Material Science and Engineering (offered mostly abroad)

After any of the above pathways, one can go for a doctoral program or research after qualifying the entrance requirements. Though not compulsory, it might help in increasing your credentials. 

Salary in different stages of a career as a Materials Engineer

Based on the job roles mentioned above, these are the estimated average annual salary:

Job role	Metallurgical engineers	Product/process development scientist	Forensic materials engineers	Composites Engineers	Technical sales engineer	Materials Engineer
Avg. Salary p.a.	₹4 Lakhs	₹ 7.1 Lakhs	₹6 Lakhs	₹3.8 Lakhs	₹19 lakhs	₹ 5.4 lakhs

Skills Required to become a Materials Engineer

• Leadership capabilities and Organizational abilities
  As a materials engineer, you will be communicating with team members, suppliers, customers, etc. which requires coordinating and mentoring people, as well as ensuring the flow of tasks and duties. 

• Interpersonal and communication abilities.
  Effective communication is important in every field, to communicate not only with fellow employees but also with multiple stakeholders. 

• Commercial sensitivity
  A large part of this profession demands dealing with multiple commodities and their testing. The goal is to ensure the delivery of quality products. Therefore creating goods considering the environment and overall sustainability is important. 

• Attention to detail
  A large part of your job might demand you to be in laboratories, testing materials and trying to find the right material for the product. Thus, one should have the right focus and attention to detail. 

• Adaptability and Effortless production
  Conflicts can arise while analyzing the material, testing, or application, thus to ensure a smooth transition of the process, it is important to adapt to the problems and environment. 

• Technological and scientific expertise.
  Your knowledge of the materials and the methods will help in creating the best version of the existing material or the new product. One needs to know the correct way of working with metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, etc. for research and development. 

Is a Materials Engineer a good career option?

Leandro Bolzoni in his interview with TOI (TIme of India) said, “In the age of interdisciplinary education, Materials Science is emerging as a promising field.” According to many sources, Materials engineering is gradually receiving recognition in the job market.

According to Myfuture website, between 2020 and 2030, it is anticipated that employment for materials engineers would increase by 8%. Which on average about 1,800 new positions for materials engineers.

In this age of technological development and the need for sustainability, Materials Engineers are required right from making or choosing of raw materials to testing them for the purpose. Therefore, job opportunities are expected to increase in the upcoming years. 

Type of industries Hiring a Materials Engineer 

Due to its multidisciplinary nature, materials engineers are required in fields that require innovation and research. Therefore, industries hire materials engineers to develop their equipment, create new materials for products, or identify solutions for specific production needs. Here are a few industries that hire materials engineers:

• Education and Research
• Transportation equipment manufacturing
• Engineering services
• Computer and electronic product manufacturing
• Primary metal manufacturing
• Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences

Top Recruiters for a Materials Engineer in India 

As mentioned above, here are a few organizations that recruit Materials Engineers in India:

• Shell
• Agilent Technologies.
• General Motors
• Jio
• The Indian Hotels.
• Baker Hughe
• PiLog
• Honeywell
• GE
• ExxonMobil

Courses to upskill as a Materials Engineer

Specific topics in material science or the fundamentals are covered in the certificate programs. The typical course length is three to six months. They make an excellent contribution to your portfolio. Following are some certificate programs:

Name of the course	Duration
Mechanical Behaviour of Materials	5 weeks
Materials Science and Engineering by  IIT Roorkee	8 weeks
Structure of Materials by MITx	16 weeks
Material Behaviour by Georgia Institute of Technology	1 – 3 months
Fundamentals of Materials Science	3 – 6 months

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Qualifications to become a Materials Engineer

A person who wants to work as a materials engineer must get a degree in material science. It is a multidisciplinary field of study that encourages advancement and research. This field’s lessons have the potential to significantly alter the way industries operate.

Degrees in India

As with any other engineering course, the candidate must earn his 10 + 2 or equivalent in the science stream. After that, to be considered for an undergraduate seat, they must take a national or university-level entrance exam. 

UG degree

You must register in a materials science engineering program if you want to become a materials engineer. The nature and characteristics of materials, phase transformation, process modelling, polymer processing, etc. are all covered in this course.

For more information on the eligibility requirements and top colleges, refer to the blog on How to become a Materials Engineer.

Here are a few courses you can try:

• BTech in Materials Engineering
• BTech in Materials Science and Engineering
• BTech in Metallurgical and Materials Science

PG

After an undergraduate program, you can enrol in materials science and engineering postgraduate program. While not a mandatory requirement, a Master’s degree will assist in getting a greater understanding of the subject.

A minimum of 60% or a 6.5 CGPA on a 10-point scale in B.Tech./B.E. or an equivalent degree in Metallurgy, Mechanical, Production Engineering, Materials Science, Ceramic, Chemical, or related specializations. Plus, a valid GATE score is required to apply for a PG program. Here are a few courses you can try:

Name of the course	Duration
M.Tech Metallurgical and Materials Engineering	2 years
M.Tech in Mining Engineering	2 years
M.Tech in Manufacturing Engineering	2 years
M.Tech in Steel Technology	2 years

Degrees Abroad

The degrees abroad have specific eligibility criteria, which are shared in the blog. The undergraduate courses are for 4 years. Few of the courses you can try are BSc or BSc Hons in Materials Science, Applied Science in Materials Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Physics and Nanotechnologies

To apply for a postgraduate degree abroad in Materials Science and engineering you need the following eligibility: 

• A four-year bachelor’s degree with First Class/Division 1 (65%) or equivalent is required for applicants (8 on a 10-point scale). The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in either engineering, forestry, or medicine.
• TOEFL score of 90/120
• PTE score of 65/90
• IELTS of 6.5/9

Here are a few postgraduate degree options available:

Name of the course	Duration
Master of Science in Materials Engineering	2 years
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Materials Science and Engineering	2 years
MSc by Research in Materials	2 years
MSc in Materials Science	2 years
MSc Advanced Engineering Materials	2 years

References for a Materials Engineer

Books you can read on Materials Science and engineering:

• Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik
• Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction by William D. Callister Jr. and David G. Rethwisch
• Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives By Mark Miodownik
• Fundamentals of Materials Science for Technologists: Properties, Testing, and Laboratory Exercises By Larry Horath
• The New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don’t Fall through the Floor By James Edward Gordon and Philip Ball
• The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another by Ainissa Ramirez
• Materials Engineering: Bonding, Structure, and Structure-Property Relationships by Robert Everest Newnham and Susan Trolier-McKinstry
• Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down by J. E. Gordon
• Joining of materials and structures by Robert W. Messler
• Thermodynamics in Materials Science by Robert T. DeHoff

To enable tomorrow’s technology, materials engineers typically solve major problems. The task at a senior level is probably going to entail more creative research or more managerial responsibility. Needless to say, it is a highly respected profession, with high satisfaction and a relatively better pay scale with experience. You can aspire to become a materials engineer.

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