Materials Scientists
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-2032
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 19-2032 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 18.4%
- High · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 53/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $117,790
- H-1B offered wage $91,484; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.9%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 689
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 1,407 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- 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.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~48.3% of this role but only ~18.4% 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
Research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and synthetic or composite materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications. Includes glass scientists, ceramic scientists, metallurgical scientists, and polymer scientists.
Common titles: Applications Scientist, Materials Research Engineer, Materials Scientist, Metallurgical Engineer, Micro Electrical/Mechanical Systems Device Scientist (MEMS Device Scientist), Polymer Materials Consultant
Representative Tasks
- •Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
- •Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.
- •Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
- •Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications.
- •Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.
- •Test quality of materials or finished products.
- •Develop new or advanced products or production methods.
- •Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
- •Design research studies to obtain scientific information.
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 | 18.4% | 9.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 37% Bright |
| Median Salary | $117,790 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 82/100 | N/A |