Annual Salary
£27,000 to £52,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Recycling or Water, gas, oil, etc. or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Recycling or Water, gas, oil, etc. or go back to all job sectors
Materials engineers study how materials behave under different conditions and discover ways to improve their performance or put them to new uses.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; occasionally
There will be
2.4% more Materials engineer jobs in 2027.
As a materials engineer, you could:
You could work at a manufacturing plant, in a laboratory or in an office.
You can get into this job through:
You'll normally need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject, like:
You could also take a degree course specialising in one group of materials or their commercial use, for example:
If you have a related degree, for example, structural engineering, you may be able to take a postgraduate course in materials science and engineering.
You can search for materials science and engineering courses, accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, on the Engineering Council website.
You'll usually need:
You could apply for a degree apprenticeship to begin your materials engineering career. Examples include:
You'll usually need:
Choosing to do an accredited course or a degree apprenticeship can help towards registration for incorporated or chartered engineer status with a professional body. This is a way to demonstrate your professional competence and expertise as your career progresses.
You can find out more about careers in materials science and engineering from Discover Materials and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
With experience, you could progress to lead engineer or move into project management. You could also specialise in particular materials or industries, work in research and development, or become a consultant.
Materials engineer designs, tests and produces novel materials that are built to survive the harsh environment of space. In the future we will be recycling old satellites and space platforms, as well make new materials in space from mining asteroids and the moon. Materials Engineers will support the development of processes that will enable these new materials and ways of working space happen.
Examples of post-16 courses you could study at a local school or college
Examples of post-18 courses you could study at a local provider
Apprenticeships you may be able to take with local employers
Search for apprenticeship vacancies
Employers in the South West
You'll need: