Occupation · SOC 19-2032.00
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.
Also called: Materials Research Engineer · Materials Scientist · Research Scientist · Scientist · Applications Scientist · Metallurgical Engineer · Micro Electrical/Mechanical Systems Device Scientist (MEMS Device Scientist) · Polymer Materials Consultant · R and D Scientist (Research and Development Scientist) · Analytical Scientist · Material Science Engineer · Metal Alloy Scientist
Job family: Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
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A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Task areas most often handled directively in observed AI conversations — candidates to delegate with light review.
Task areas where people work with AI — iterating, learning, or checking — staying in the loop rather than handing the task off.
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
75th-percentile task overlap — yet about 600 openings a year (+4.9% projected, BLS), and observed AI use leans 4900% copilot, not hand-off (AEI) . What exposure means →
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) High | 76th | 1.0 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) High | 68th | 0.8 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) High | 78th | 0.2 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.5), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.8). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.0 · 15th percentile among occupations · Low
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers. | 12.2% | |
| Confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs. | 1.7% | |
| Perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys, and their responses to applied forces. | 1.3% | |
| 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. | 0.5% | |
| Devise testing methods to evaluate the effects of various conditions on particular materials. | 0.4% |
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | About average · +4.9% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 600 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 8,700 → 9,100 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international 2 occupations below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Chemists · 2113 | 39% | Minimal |
| Mining Engineers, Metallurgists and Related Professionals · 2146 | 29% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Augmentation vs. automation | 49.0% working with AI · 42.1% handed to AI |
| Most common way people use AI here | Directive · AI does it; you give the instruction |
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.0 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
| Used for work (vs. personal / coursework) | 46.7% |
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers. | Directive | 6.6% |
| Perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys, and their responses to applied forces. | Learning | 1.7% |
| Confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs. | Iteration | 0.8% |
| 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. | — | 0.4% |
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers. | 94.5% | |
| 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. | 90.5% | |
| Confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs. | 89.9% | |
| Perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys, and their responses to applied forces. | 89.5% |
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
Help me prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers. From: Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers. · 6.6% of measured AI use · directive
Help me perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys, and their responses to applied forces. From: Perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys, and their responses to applied forces. · 1.7% of measured AI use · learning
Help me confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs. From: Confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs. · 0.8% of measured AI use · task iteration
Help me 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. From: 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. · 0.4% of measured AI use
All 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
| Engineering and Technology | 4.8 | |
| Chemistry | 4.6 | |
| Physics | 4.4 | |
| Mathematics | 4.3 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.8 | |
| Production and Processing | 3.7 | |
| Design | 3.6 | |
| Mechanical | 3.4 | |
| English Language | 3.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | |
| Science | 4.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | |
| Writing | 3.9 | |
| Speaking | 3.8 | |
| Active Learning | 3.8 | |
| Mathematics | 3.5 | |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | |
| Persuasion | 3.1 | |
| Operations Analysis | 3.1 | |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Written Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Oral Expression | 4.0 | |
| Written Expression | 4.0 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.0 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.0 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.0 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.9 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.9 | |
| Near Vision | 3.8 | |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.4 | |
| Originality | 3.3 | |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.3 | |
| Number Facility | 3.1 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.1 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.1 |
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
What to study: Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences , Physical Sciences . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Bachelor's Degree | 61.9% | |
| Doctoral Degree | 14.3% | |
| Master's Degree | 9.5% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 4.8% | |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.8% | |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 4.8% |
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
| Investigative | 6.6 | |
| Realistic | 5.8 | |
| Conventional | 4.2 | |
| Artistic | 2.2 |
| Physical Science | 6.5 | |
| Engineering | 6.2 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 4.7 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 2.9 | |
| Information Technology | 2.5 | |
| Life Science | 1.9 |
| Dependability | 5.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 4.0 | |
| Intellectual Curiosity | 3.0 | |
| Innovation | 2.5 | |
| Achievement Orientation | 2.1 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.0 |
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $61,460 |
| 25th percentile | $79,980 |
| Median (50th) | $104,160 |
| 75th percentile | $134,140 |
| 90th percentile | $168,500 |
| People employed | 8,330 |
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 3,590 | $106,130 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 2,960 | $109,320 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 580 | $124,660 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 550 | $80,050 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 470 | $74,990 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 450 | $96,980 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services · National industry | 440 | $76,040 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 70 | $79,680 |
| Construction · Sector | — | $45,890 |
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Testing Laboratories and Services · National industry | 47.8× | 440 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 7.52× | 470 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 6.17× | 3,590 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 4.29× | 2,960 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 3.82× | 580 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 1.38× | 450 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 0.75× | 550 |
Part of the Advanced Manufacturing career cluster.
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
Options the data surfaces for Materials Scientists — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
How people typically prepare for this work.
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 62nd percentile of 427 international occupations.
Materials Scientists show 75th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 600 annual U.S. openings
Materials Scientists show 75th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 600 annual U.S. openings • Materials Scientists rank in the 75th percentile (High band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 600 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be about average (+4.9%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $104,160, across about 8,330 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 49% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census. (2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2) Source: Singulariki — "Materials Scientists". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-2032-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
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Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Singulariki. "Materials Scientists." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-2032-00
Singulariki. (2026). Materials Scientists. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-2032-00
@misc{singulariki-role-19-2032-00,
title = {Materials Scientists},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-2032-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.