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Occupation

Materials Scientists

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.

88 AI exposure
30 Human advantage
58 Market demand
62 AI leverage

Is Materials Scientists a safe career from AI?

Materials Scientists scores 88 out of 100 for AI exposure, which is high. A large share of this work is the kind current AI systems are measurably good at. That is not a prediction the job disappears, and the research does not support one. It means more of this role is likely to change than most.

Its human advantage score is 30, which is low. Most of this role can be done through a screen, and that is the half of the labor market AI has reached first. Market demand scores 58 out of 100, combining how many of these jobs exist with where that number is heading. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growing 8.3% over ten years.

What Materials Scientists pay

The median wage is $104,160 a year. The lower quarter earns under $79,980 and the upper quarter over $134,140. About 8,330 people do this work in the United States.

Where Materials Scientists can go next

Occupations that share most of what this job already requires, ranked by how much carries over.

Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers 89% of the skills carry over $168k median
Physicists 90% of the skills carry over $166k median
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists 81% of the skills carry over $130k median
Biofuels Production Managers 86% of the skills carry over $121k median

Thinking about moving out of Materials Scientists?

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Where this comes from

Work content and transitions from O*NET, the US Department of Labor's occupational database. Wages and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. AI exposure from published research measuring which occupations current AI capabilities overlap with. None of it is a forecast, and none of these numbers are ours: they are public data, put next to each other.

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