Materials Engineers
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2131
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 17-2131 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 50/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $112,860
- H-1B offered wage $114,800; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 1,700
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +5.7%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 1,963
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 2,676 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~48.8% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Extrusion Engineer, Materials Development Engineer, Materials Engineer, Materials Research Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer, Metallurgist
Representative Tasks
- •Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
- •Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
- •Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
- •Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- •Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Conduct quantitative failure analyses of operational data.
- •Direct quality control activities.
- •Monitor the productivity or efficiency of industrial operations.
- •Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
- •Test characteristics of materials or structures.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 4.5% |
| Outlook | Average | 15% Bright |
| Median Salary | $112,860 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |