Materials Scientists
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.
8,470 people do this job in the US. $117,790 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 49%
- 3%
- 48%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 1%. Today's estimate: 1%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 16 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 10% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| 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.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 10% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 1.3 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Research methods of processing, forming, and firing materials to develop such products as ceramic dental fillings, unbreakable dinner plates, and telescope lenses.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 10% | 2.5 work days6.7 h to 1.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2028 | |
| 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.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 10% | 4.2 work days1.7 work days to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Jul 2028 | |
| Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special characteristics.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 9% | 1.7 work days5 h to 4.2 work days | 1%Half by Dec 2027 | |
| Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 9% | 1.3 work days3.3 h to 3.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Devise testing methods to evaluate the effects of various conditions on particular materials.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.3 work days3.3 h to 3.1 work days | 3%Half by Oct 2027 | |
| 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.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h2.5 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Write research papers for publication in scientific journals.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 5% | 4.2 work days1.7 work days to 2.1 work weeks | 0%Half by Aug 2028 | |
| Test individual parts and products to ensure that manufacturer and governmental quality and safety standards are met.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Supervise and monitor production processes to ensure efficient use of equipment, timely changes to specifications, and project completion within time frame and budget.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.Done more than yearly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | 8%Half by Sep 2027 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).