Also called: Chief Metallurgist, Metallurgy Manager
Top metals expert at a steel mill, foundry or aerospace company who decides how metals are made and treated.
A batch of steel for jet engine shafts failed its toughness test. You review the furnace records, examine fracture surfaces and decide whether to scrap a $500,000 batch or re-heat-treat it.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in metallurgical or materials engineering plus 10+ years of experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Materials Science & Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps predict alloy properties and process settings; plant judgment, failure calls and mentoring stay human.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Welding or metal shop, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2131.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.