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Materials Development Engineer

Materials Development Engineer

I-24

I Other Semiconductor fab jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 17-2131.00

Texas median
whole occupation, 2025
$117,700
work over
40 h a week
28%
load index
from O*NET data
1.8/5
Texas jobs
2024 to 2034
+14.0%

Pay

This level's pay

No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.

All pay records and context (2)
  • DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $89,461 · Level II $119,934 · Level III $124,090 · Level IV $137,644 (78 filings, TX) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
  • DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $97,091 · Level II $105,826 · Level III $124,090 · Level IV $148,894 (184 filings, AZ) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source

Whole occupation: all Materials Engineers, Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
  • Series OEUS480000000000017213113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
  • Based on an estimated 1,440 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000017213101).

Half of all Materials Engineers in Texas earn more than $117,700; the bottom 10% earned less than $67,690 and the top 10% more than $187,460 (May 2025, base pay, about 1,440 jobs). U.S. median $112,860.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Materials Engineers, not level-specific
TWC, BLS

Texas
+14.0% jobs · about 130 openings a year (1,700 jobs in 2024)
United States
+5.7% jobs · about 1,500 openings a year (23,000 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
O*NET 31.0
  • Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 25 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 3 in 10 work more than 40 hours a week (28%).

Schedule: regular 92% · irregular 8% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 1.8 of 5, our index from O*NET
Method
  • Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (1.6, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.92, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
  • O*NET OnLine

Body

  • Standing2.32
  • Walking or running1.84
  • Keeping balance1.5
  • Climbing ladders1.32
  • Kneeling or crawling1.32
  • Bending or twisting1.32

Exposure

  • Hazardous conditions2.6
  • Hazardous equipment2.33
  • Protective gear2.16
  • Very hot or cold1.84
  • Cramped space1.62
  • Outdoors, all weather1.44
  • High places1.44
Body 1.6 · exposure 1.92. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License
Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work.
Degree
96% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Bachelor's Degree
Experience
None of related experience is the most common answer (32% of workers).
O*NET
  • O*NET Related Work Experience, Materials Engineers, O*NET OnLine
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Why this level
Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 4 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 6

  • I Materials Scientist O*NET lists Materials Scientists as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.96.
  • M Chemical Engineer O*NET lists Chemical Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.94.
  • M Mechanical Engineer O*NET lists Mechanical Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88.
  • I Manufacturing Engineer O*NET lists Manufacturing Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86.
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What the work is 6 core tasks

Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.

  1. Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
  2. Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
  3. Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
  4. Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace.
  5. Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
  6. Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

  • Active Listening
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Mathematics
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Science
  • Speaking
  • Writing
Sources (4)

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

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Not a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas or any U.S. state. Does not offer engineering services. Exam-prep education only.