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Materials Scientist

Materials Scientist

I-28

I Other Semiconductor fab jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 19-2032.00

Texas median
whole occupation, 2025
$72,700
work over
40 h a week
43%
load index
from O*NET data
1.7/5
Texas jobs
2024 to 2034
+11.9%

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 (1)
  • DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $59,275 · Level II $94,579 · Level III $117,652 · Level IV $150,000 (21 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

Whole occupation: all Materials Scientists, Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
  • Series OEUS480000000000019203213 (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 300 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000019203201).

Half of all Materials Scientists in Texas earn more than $72,700; the bottom 10% earned less than $50,970 and the top 10% more than $151,050 (May 2025, base pay, about 300 jobs). U.S. median $117,790.

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

Texas
+11.9% jobs · about 30 openings a year (380 jobs in 2024)
United States
+4.6% jobs · about 600 openings a year (8,700 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 08/2024, n = 21 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 2 in 5 work more than 40 hours a week (43%).

Schedule: regular 81% · irregular 19% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 1.7 of 5, our index from O*NET
Method
  • Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (1.51, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.96, 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

  • Standing2.24
  • Walking or running1.76
  • Bending or twisting1.48
  • Climbing ladders1.33
  • Kneeling or crawling1.14
  • Keeping balance1.14

Exposure

  • Hazardous conditions3.05
  • Hazardous equipment2.24
  • Protective gear2.19
  • Very hot or cold1.86
  • Outdoors, all weather1.71
  • Cramped space1.45
  • High places1.19
Body 1.51 · exposure 1.96. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License
No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
Degree
95% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Bachelor's Degree
Experience
None of related experience is the most common answer (24% of workers).
O*NET
  • O*NET Related Work Experience, Materials Scientists, 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 Development Engineer O*NET lists Materials Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.96. License: depends on the work.
  • I Nanotechnology Engineer O*NET lists Nanosystems Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.94. License: depends on the work.
  • M Chemical Engineer O*NET lists Chemical Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.93. License: depends on the work.
  • I4 MEMS Engineer O*NET lists Microsystems Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89. License: depends on the work.
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What the work is 6 core tasks

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.

  1. Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
  2. Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.
  3. Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
  4. 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.
  5. Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.
  6. Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special characteristics.

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

Top skills

  • Active Listening
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Active Learning
  • Speaking
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.