Materials Science Engineering Opportunities and Salary
In general, as a broadly applicable field of study with many avenues open to graduates and post-graduates throughout numerous professional sectors, Material Science and Engineering maintains a respectable average salary in terms of national averages. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in 2012, the mean salary for a Materials Engineer was $85,150 annually. In comparison, Onet.com reported a rise in this for 2013 with a reported mean salary of $87,330 per year, with these totals naturally varying between industries and according to educational and experiential backgrounds. Job growth in this particular sector is reported to be effectively flat between 2012 and 2022, according to the BLS, experiencing neither substantial losses nor gains in term of total net employment.
However within the state of California alone, numerous opportunities can be found consistently in the areas of aerospace and defense, medical device design and manufacturing, applied physics research and development (both commercial and academic,) as well as in general consumer products and electronics manufacturing. Additional opportunities in the energy, automotive and information technology sectors can also be found throughout the country and are themselves possessing of growth potential as each of these industries continues to evolve rapidly in light of technological advances.
Beyond these statistical realities and potential however, many within the fields of Materials Science and Engineering express substantial personal and professional satisfaction with their work and career. Bringing together the applicable skills of dynamic critical thinking and problems solving with those of analytical research and scientific endeavor, the challenges posed to the working professional often result in an enhanced satisfaction with successful end results in respect to projects and ventures undertaken. In seeing the final real world applications to their research, development and testing of new and existing materials, Material Engineers often find themselves on the cutting edge of scientific discovery and advancement.
Taking for example, the case of NASA engineer Clara Wright, the pliable skills learned while studying Material Science and Engineering have given Ms. Wright substantial personal fulfillment, in addition to her remarkable career. Being possessed since her youth with an interest in puzzles and problem solving, Wright gravitated naturally towards the field of material science and engineering. Upon completing her degree, Wright first entered the field of bio-medical research, assisting with the design and development of prosthetic limbs for amputees. Later, Wright took a position at NASA working as a materials engineer, studying materials in use by the space program. In July of 2014, Wright was profiled for NASA’s website, in an effort to highlight both her contributions to the space program, while also the interest and dedication to Material Science and Engineering which brought her to work there.
No comments:
Post a Comment