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Materials Engineers

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary.
    • Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary.
    • Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists.
    • Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
    • Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
    • Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
    • Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
    • Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
    • Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
    • Design processing plants and equipment.
    • Supervise production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities, smelting or foundry operations, or nonmetallic materials production operations.
    • Conduct training sessions on new material products, applications, or manufacturing methods for customers and their employees.
    • Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
    • Present technical information at conferences.
    • Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
    • Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
    • Teach in colleges and universities.
    • Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
    • Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
    • Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
    • Teach in colleges and universities.
    • Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
    • Replicate the characteristics of materials and their components, using computers.
    • Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
    • Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace.
    • Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary.
    • Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications.

    Skills

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    7
    Workplace Documents
    6
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    Knowledge

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 101620/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 48.86/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 1,550
    • Yearly Projected Openings 100

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Attention to Detail
    • Innovation
    • Persistence
    • Achievement/Effort

    Tools

    • Abrasion testers
    • Accelerometers
    • Ageing ovens
    • Ammeters
    • Analytical balances
    • Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
    • Benchtop centrifuges
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Borescope inspection equipment
    • Bubble columns
    • Calorimeters
    • Chromatographic scanners
    • Colorimeters
    • Compression testers
    • Concrete or cement testing instruments
    • Coordinate measuring machines CMM
    • Crucible furnaces
    • Depth gauges
    • Diffractometers
    • Digital cameras
    • Drying cabinets or ovens
    • Electromagnetic field meters
    • Electrometers
    • Electron microscopes
    • Electronic toploading balances
    • Extensometers
    • Fatigue testers
    • Filtering machinery
    • Flow transmitters
    • Flowmeters
    • Fume hoods or cupboards
    • Gas chromatographs
    • Graphic recorders
    • Grinders
    • Grinding or polishing machines
    • Gyratory crushers
    • Hardness testers
    • Heated walk in environmental or growth chambers
    • High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
    • High vacuum combustion apparatus
    • Homogenizers
    • Horizontal turning center
    • Hydraulic press frames
    • Immersion circulators
    • Impact testers
    • Impedance meters
    • Induction dryers
    • Infrared dryers
    • Infrared imagers
    • Infrared spectrometers
    • Injection molding machines
    • Ion exchange apparatus
    • Isolation glove boxes
    • Jaw crushers
    • Laboratory balances
    • Laboratory blenders or emulsifiers
    • Laboratory box furnaces
    • Laboratory burets
    • Laboratory crushers or pulverizers
    • Laboratory evaporators
    • Laboratory microwave ovens
    • Laboratory mills
    • Laboratory mixers
    • Laboratory separators
    • Laboratory vacuum pumps
    • Laminators
    • Lasers
    • Leak testing equipment
    • Linear position sensors
    • Load frame
    • Mass spectrometers
    • Metal band sawing machine
    • Metal testing instruments
    • Optical diffraction apparatus
    • Optical vacuum coating equipment
    • Orbital shakers
    • Orbital shaking water baths
    • Oscilloscopes
    • Permeability testing apparatus
    • Personal computers
    • Photo attachments for microscopes
    • Photometer
    • Plaster or mortar mixers
    • Pneumatic sanding machines
    • Polarizing microscopes
    • Porosimeters
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Positioning jig
    • Power saws
    • Programmable tube furnaces
    • Protective gloves
    • Pycnometers
    • Reflectometers
    • Roll crushers
    • Safety glasses
    • Scanning electron microscopes
    • Scanning probe microscopes
    • Semiconductor process systems
    • Sonometers
    • Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
    • Spectrometers
    • Spectrophotometers
    • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
    • Stereo or dissecting light microscopes
    • Strain gauges
    • Tensiometers
    • Tension testers
    • Test sieves
    • Thermal differential analyzers
    • Thermo gravimetry analyzers
    • Thickness measuring devices
    • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
    • Traveling column milling machine
    • Tube furnaces
    • Turbidimeters
    • Twin screw extruder
    • Ultrasonic examination equipment
    • Vacuum ovens
    • Vibration testers
    • Vibratory plates
    • Viscosimeters
    • Water conditioners
    • Wear testers
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Development environment software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

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