Metallurgical Engineer
Impact: Problem-solving and innovation
Research, develop, and process metals and alloys for various industrial applications, optimizing their properties and performance.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 58% Team / 42% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- Moderate
- Travel
- 5-10% domestic
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 41-53 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $79,000
- Entry-level
- $74,000
- Senior
- $165,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 8% (faster than average)
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- High to 123% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $20,000 - $40,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- FEA Analysis
- Control Systems
- Prototyping
- CAD Software
Soft skills
- Adaptability
- Leadership
- Creativity
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Emotional Intelligence
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 5-7 years
- Years to senior
- 8-15 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Entry Level
- Mid Level
- Senior Level
- Lead/Manager
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 30% to moderate risk due to specialized skills
- AI disruption risk
- Moderate
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 6/10
- Meaning
- 7.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 6/10
- Prestige
- 7.1/10
- Social perception
- Moderate