Materials Scientist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of materials scientists to grow 8.3% from 2025 to 2035 (about 700 more jobs), with about 600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $117,790 a year ranks 82nd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +8.3%
- Openings a year
- 600
- Median pay
- $117,790
- Pay rank
- 82nd of 825
Is employment of materials scientists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of materials scientists to rise 8.3% (about 700 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +7.6% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 48 life, physical, and social science occupations with a projection. That change ranks 91st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 8,600 |
| Employment, 2035 | 9,300 |
| Projected change | +8.3% |
| Openings a year | 600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 8,600 jobs here differ from the 8,470 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 726th most of 830 occupations. About 88% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 70 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for materials scientists rank?
The median of $117,790 a year ranks 82nd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemists | +6.4% | 5,900 | $91,240 |
| Chemical Technicians | +4.9% | 7,600 | $60,390 |
| Materials Engineers | +7.5% | 1,300 | $112,860 |
| Engineers, All Other | +3.7% | 8,800 | $122,930 |
| Chemical Engineers | +4.7% | 1,100 | $125,040 |
| Industrial Engineers | +12.4% | 23,100 | $102,440 |
| Mechanical Engineers | +11.2% | 17,800 | $104,110 |
| Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other | +2.8% | 5,400 | $78,350 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.