AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 17-2131.00
Will AI replace Materials Engineers?
Materials Engineers: AI can already handle 3 of 21 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 21 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Materials Engineers, from most to least exposed. 3 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Design processing plants and equipment. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Supervise production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities, smelting or foundry operations, or nonmetallic materials production operations. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Present technical information at conferences. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Replicate the characteristics of materials and their components, using computers. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Conduct training sessions on new material products, applications, or manufacturing methods for customers and their employees. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Teach in colleges and universities. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 21 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 21. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 22,770
- Median annual wage
- $112,860
- Middle half of earners
- $88,080 to $142,720
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +5.7%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Materials Scientists 79% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure57
- Manufacturing Engineers 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure60
- Automotive Engineers 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure51
- Mechanical Engineers 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure48
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure49
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Materials Engineers and AI
Will AI replace Materials Engineers?
AI already handles 3 of the 21 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 48 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +5.7% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Materials Engineers?
48 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 21 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Materials Engineers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: 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; Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Materials Engineers, and what do they earn?
22,770 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $112,860 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +5.7% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Materials Engineers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/materials-engineers
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