Becoming a Material Scientist via Online Education?
At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths.
Ashford University, one of the highest ranking online
schools,
is a US school (accredited) offering science courses to train individuals
to become top-notch
scientists,
information scientists,
bioengineers,
biophysicists,
anthropologists,
biochemists,
biomathematicians,
biologists,
bioinformatics specialists, etc.
Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 22,510 people employed as
materials engineers alone in America, and their average annual salary is
$85,660.
Materials scientists make on average $82,350
per year and there are about 8,880
of them employed today.
Colleges and universities like Ashford University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into
this
field.
Typical Work Locations for a Material Scientist
- university
- research laboratory
- chemical company
- toiletry manufacturer
- industrial laboratory
- food manufacturer
- hospital
- military research facility
- product testing facility
- biological laboratory
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Material Scientist
- decent pay
- good benefits
- work outside
- work in a lab
- get to meet important people
- do research on new materials
- get to work in a field that you love
- get to research your theories
- get to apply for grant money
- become famous for your work
Potential Drawbacks
- work by yourself often
- many responsibilities
- handling challenges
- on going education
- have to move to find job
- task to take an unexpectedly long time to complete
- you will not ever achieve absolute perfection
- there is always the potential for a slightly better product
- science based product development is a real challenge
- getting distracted by chasing perfection
Related Professions to Consider
- Principal Materials Scientist
- Ceramics Materials Scientist
- Polymer Materials Engineer/Scientist
- Organic Chemist
- Quality Control Technician - Medical Devices
- R&D Polymer/Materials Scientist
- Material/Polymer Scientist
- Associate Professor (Green-Photonics)
- Biologist
- Quality Technician
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Material Scientist
- Have you ever conducted training sessions on new material products, applications, or manufacturing methods for customers and their employees?
- Would you be willing to Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications?
- would you like to confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their need?
- How do you organize yourself to undertake a task assigned to you by your supervisor?
- Are you prepared to test individual parts and products to ensure that manufacturer and governmental quality and safety standards are met?
- What are you looking for in a job?
- What irritates you about co-workers?
- How do you evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives?
- Are you prepared to recommend materials for reliable performance in various environments?
- What is the average time to build a coal power plant?
Common Collaborating Professions
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Biologist
- Geologist
- Marine Scientist
- Material Engineer
- Scientific Engineer
- Geology Professor
- Grant Worker
- Lab Technician
- Security Guard
Material Scientist Training books
Material Scientist (More) Popular books
Potential Companies to Work For
Common College Majors
- Composite materials
- Electronic properties of materials
- Kinetics of materials
- Materials characterization lab
- Materials engineering design
- Mechanical behavior of solids
- Metallurgy
- Phase relationships in materials
- Thermodynamics of materials
- Computer science
Material Scientist Salary Information
Category: Materials engineers
| Total # Employed in the US |
22,510 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$41.18/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $25.32 |
$31.23 |
$39.99 |
$50.08 |
$60.41 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$85,660 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $52,670 |
$64,950 |
$83,190 |
$104,170 |
$125,660 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 0.4% |
5.6% |
12.3% |
12.1% |
45.7% |
17.3% |
6.7% |
|
Materials engineers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Mississippi |
$52.33/hr
|
$108,840
|
| Alaska |
$52.01/hr
|
$108,180
|
| Colorado |
$46.16/hr
|
$96,010
|
| Wyoming |
$44.17/hr
|
$91,880
|
| Massachusetts |
$43.89/hr
|
$91,280
|
| Maine |
$43.76/hr
|
$91,020
|
| New Hampshire |
$42.66/hr
|
$88,730
|
| Arkansas |
$42.57/hr
|
$88,560
|
| Delaware |
$42.57/hr
|
$88,540
|
| South Carolina |
$41.51/hr
|
$86,330
|
| Michigan |
$41.33/hr
|
$85,960
|
| Connecticut |
$41.15/hr
|
$85,590
|
| Iowa |
$41.1/hr
|
$85,490
|
| Missouri |
$40.51/hr
|
$84,270
|
| Oklahoma |
$39.89/hr
|
$82,970
|
| Kansas |
$39.88/hr
|
$82,960
|
| Montana |
$39.86/hr
|
$82,900
|
| North Dakota |
$39.85/hr
|
$82,890
|
| Tennessee |
$39.57/hr
|
$82,300
|
| New Mexico |
$39.37/hr
|
$81,890
|
| Alabama |
$39.33/hr
|
$81,810
|
| North Carolina |
$38.85/hr
|
$80,810
|
| Utah |
$38.38/hr
|
$79,830
|
| Hawaii |
$38.22/hr
|
$79,490
|
| Ohio |
$37.69/hr
|
$78,400
|
| Indiana |
$37.64/hr
|
$78,290
|
| Oregon |
$37.6/hr
|
$78,210
|
| Nebraska |
$37.08/hr
|
$77,140
|
| Louisiana |
$35.67/hr
|
$74,190
|
| Idaho |
$35.23/hr
|
$73,270
|
| New York |
$35.09/hr
|
$73,000
|
| Maryland |
$34.92/hr
|
$72,630
|
| Washington |
$34.58/hr
|
$71,930
|
| California |
$34.33/hr
|
$71,400
|
| South Dakota |
$34.2/hr
|
$71,140
|
| Guam |
$33.54/hr
|
$69,760
|
| Virginia |
$33.21/hr
|
$69,070
|
| Kentucky |
$32.63/hr
|
$67,880
|
| Nevada |
$28.96/hr
|
$60,240
|
Category: Materials scientists
| Total # Employed in the US |
8,880 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$39.59/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $21.07 |
$28.76 |
$38.61 |
$49.44 |
$60.46 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$82,350 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $43,820 |
$59,810 |
$80,300 |
$102,840 |
$125,760 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 0.2% |
0.7% |
3.7% |
3.3% |
52.4% |
20.7% |
19.0% |
|
Materials scientists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Delaware |
$57.68/hr
|
$119,980
|
| Missouri |
$48.19/hr
|
$100,240
|
| Colorado |
$45.38/hr
|
$94,400
|
| Mississippi |
$44.55/hr
|
$92,670
|
| Nebraska |
$44.09/hr
|
$91,700
|
| North Dakota |
$43.93/hr
|
$91,370
|
| Arkansas |
$43.51/hr
|
$90,510
|
| California |
$42.32/hr
|
$88,020
|
| Oklahoma |
$41.78/hr
|
$86,910
|
| Tennessee |
$41.24/hr
|
$85,790
|
| Kentucky |
$40.92/hr
|
$85,110
|
| Idaho |
$40.72/hr
|
$84,700
|
| District of Columbia |
$40.59/hr
|
$84,430
|
| Ohio |
$39.7/hr
|
$82,570
|
| Connecticut |
$39.41/hr
|
$81,980
|
| Wyoming |
$39.19/hr
|
$81,510
|
| Wisconsin |
$38.11/hr
|
$79,260
|
| Louisiana |
$38.04/hr
|
$79,120
|
| Montana |
$38.02/hr
|
$79,090
|
| Oregon |
$37.7/hr
|
$78,410
|
| Guam |
$37.65/hr
|
$78,310
|
| South Carolina |
$37.48/hr
|
$77,950
|
| Utah |
$37.15/hr
|
$77,260
|
| Maine |
$37.13/hr
|
$77,230
|
| New Hampshire |
$36.36/hr
|
$75,620
|
| Washington |
$34.97/hr
|
$72,730
|
| Hawaii |
$34.83/hr
|
$72,450
|
| Michigan |
$34.37/hr
|
$71,490
|
| Kansas |
$33.12/hr
|
$68,900
|
| Maryland |
$29.17/hr
|
$60,670
|
