What Factors Affect a Materials Engineer Salary?

Materials engineers are individuals who develop and test substances to determine whether they are adequate for use in new or existing products. The factors that affect a materials engineer salary include the level of education that a person has achieved as well as the number of years that he or she has spent in the field. In addition, the size of the work area as well as whether he or she has earned certifications have an impact on the wage awarded to a person in this industry.

A materials engineer salary is hugely dependent on the amount of education that a person in this line of work has attained. For instance, a four-year bachelor’s degree in engineering constitutes the basic requirement to claim an entry-level job in this field. Still, earning a higher two-year master’s degree can result in a greater pay level because a person who has completed graduate school has done research and studied industry topics in more detail, so hiring mangers usually are willing to compensate him or her for his or her greater level of expertise. As a result, an individual who actually earns a four- or five-year doctoral degree, the highest degree possible in this area of study, has the best opportunity to receive the highest level of income in the industry.

Years of experience additionally impact a person’s wage in this industry. An individual who has worked for a couple of decades in this vocational area can earn a materials engineer salary that is more than three times the rate that a novice with less than a year of experience in the field earns. More experience typically leads to higher salaries because a person with more knowledge about the industry can better help an organization to become more profitable and competitive in the marketplace.

The size of an employer’s service area affects a professional’s income in this job field as well. For instance, an engineering firm in a larger city generally can pay more to an employee than a company in a rural area. A materials engineer salary is bigger in a larger city simply because a business in this type of environment can perform more revenue-generating projects, as more clients are available to serve.

Although certification is not necessary to enter this career area, it does make a person more attractive to employers in addition to potentially increasing his or her pay level. These types of designations come from industry associations and are available to those who pass examinations. Professionals must meet continuing education requirements to keep these credentials as well. Certification makes a materials engineer salary higher because employers tend to view a person who is certified as a more qualified expert than someone who lacks this type of designation.