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Material Science Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Purosil LLC

Polymer Materials Scientist

Corona, CA · On-site

The ideal candidate will have R&D level proficiency in polymer chemistry (ideally silicone and/or organic rubbers), material science, and applied materials science/mechanical engineering. You Should ...

PTI Technologies

Material Scientist

Oxnard, CA · On-site

$111K - $186K/yr

... Engineering, Material Science, Physics, Biology, or Chemistry is essential, along with 5 to 10 years of experience in aerospace design and manufacturing. Proven expertise as a technical lead is ...

PTI Technologies

Material Scientist

Oxnard, CA · On-site

$111K - $186K/yr

... Engineering, Material Science, Physics, Biology, or Chemistry is essential, along with 5 to 10 years of experience in aerospace design and manufacturing. Proven expertise as a technical lead is ...

PTI Technologies

Material Scientist

Oxnard, CA

... Engineering, Material Science, Physics, Biology, or Chemistry is essential, along with 5 to 10 years of experience in aerospace design and manufacturing. Proven expertise as a technical lead is ...

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All JobsMaterial Science Engineering JobsMaterial Science Engineering Jobs in California

Material Science Engineering information

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$13

$26

$43

How much do material science engineering jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average hourly pay for material science engineering in California is $26.37, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $19.23 and $32.50 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What engineers make $500,000 a year?

Highly experienced engineers in specialized fields such as petroleum engineering, aerospace engineering, or certain senior roles in software engineering can earn $500,000 or more annually, often including bonuses and stock options. These positions typically require advanced skills, extensive experience, and often involve leadership or executive responsibilities.

Is material science engineering a good career?

Material science engineering is a viable career that involves developing and testing materials used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and electronics. It requires strong knowledge of chemistry, physics, and engineering principles, often involving laboratory work and technical problem-solving. Job prospects are generally good with opportunities for advancement and specialization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Material Science Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Material Science Engineer, you need a solid background in materials science, chemistry, physics, and engineering principles, typically supported by at least a bachelor's degree in material science or a related field. Familiarity with analytical tools like scanning electron microscopes (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and materials modeling software is commonly required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills for success in this role. These skills ensure the development, testing, and improvement of materials that meet industry performance and safety standards.

What are some common challenges material science engineers face when working on interdisciplinary projects?

Material science engineers often collaborate with professionals from mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering, which can present challenges in aligning project goals and communication styles. Navigating differences in technical language and priorities requires adaptability and strong teamwork skills. Additionally, integrating new materials into existing manufacturing processes may involve troubleshooting unforeseen issues, making flexibility and creative problem-solving essential. These challenges ultimately foster valuable cross-disciplinary experience and can lead to innovative solutions.

What is material science engineering?

Material science engineering is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on the discovery, design, and development of new materials and the improvement of existing ones. Engineers in this field study the structure, properties, and performance of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Their work is essential for advancing technology in industries like aerospace, electronics, automotive, and healthcare. Material science engineers play a critical role in creating materials with enhanced strength, durability, or other specialized properties to meet the needs of modern applications.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

In the field of materials science engineering, senior-level professionals with extensive experience, advanced degrees, and specialized skills can earn $200,000 or more annually, especially in leadership roles or within high-paying industries like aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing, or energy. Achieving this salary often requires advanced certifications, a strong track record, and working in regions with high living costs or demand for specialized expertise.

What kind of jobs do material science engineers do?

Material science engineers research, develop, and test materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites to improve their properties for various applications. They work in industries like aerospace, automotive, electronics, and healthcare, often using tools like microscopy and spectroscopy, and may require knowledge of manufacturing processes and material testing standards.

What is the difference between Material Science Engineering vs Metallurgical Engineering?

AspectMaterial Science EngineeringMetallurgical Engineering
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Materials Science or EngineeringBachelor's or Master's in Metallurgical Engineering
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, manufacturing, product developmentMining, metal production, refining facilities
Industry UsageElectronics, aerospace, automotive, consumer productsMining, metal extraction, alloy development
Common Search/ComparisonMaterial Science EngineeringMetallurgical Engineering

Material Science Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering share overlapping skills in metals and materials but differ in focus. Material Science emphasizes a broader range of materials, including polymers and ceramics, and their applications across various industries. Metallurgical Engineering concentrates specifically on metals, extraction, and refining processes. Both fields are vital in manufacturing and industry, but their core areas of expertise and work environments differ.

What are the most commonly searched types of Material Science Engineering jobs in California? The most popular types of Material Science Engineering jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Material Science Engineering jobs in California? For Material Science Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Material Science Engineering jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Material Science Engineering jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Material Science Engineering jobs? Cities in California with the most Material Science Engineering job openings:
Material Science Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Material Science Engineering job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, and 7% Part Time. Highlights an 86% In-person, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $54,840 per year, or $26.4 per hour.

Material Science Research Engineer, DeepMind

DeepMind

Mountain View, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 10 days ago

Job description

Minimum qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • 2 years of experience applying software engineering principles in a scientific research environment.
  • Experience working with linear algebra, calculus and statistics.
  • Experience performing data exploration or data analysis across datasets.
  • Experience with JAX, PyTorch, or TensorFlow.

Preferred qualifications:
  • Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Science, Mathematics, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Specific domain expertise in areas like inorganic chemistry, solid-state physics, or materials synthesis.
  • Experience applying modern deep learning architectures (e.g., transformers, diffusion models) to chemistry or materials science issues (e.g., ML force fields).
  • Experience running large-scale scientific simulations (e.g., molecular dynamics, computational chemistry simulations, etc.) on Cloud or HPC clusters.
  • Experience developing custom LLM agents or tool-using systems.
  • Experience with concurrent and distributed software algorithms and architectures.

About the job
At Google, research-focused Software Engineers are embedded throughout the company, allowing them to setup large-scale tests and deploy promising ideas quickly and broadly. Ideas may come from internal projects as well as from collaborations with research programs at partner universities and technical institutes all over the world.
From creating experiments and prototyping implementations to designing new architectures, engineers work on real-world problems including artificial intelligence, data mining, natural language processing, hardware and software performance analysis, improving compilers for mobile platforms, as well as core search and much more. But you stay connected to your research roots as an active contributor to the wider research community by partnering with universities and publishing papers.
Artificial intelligence will be one of humanity's most transformative inventions. At Google DeepMind, we are a pioneering AI lab with exceptional interdisciplinary teams focused on advancing AI development to solve complex global challenges and accelerate high-quality product innovation for billions of users. We use our technologies for widespread public benefit and scientific discovery, ensuring safety and ethics are always our highest priority.
We are pushing the boundaries across multiple domains. Our global teams offer diverse learning opportunities and varied career pathways for those driven to achieve exceptional results through collective effort.
Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
US: $147000 - $211000 (USD) 15% bonus target equity benefits
Learn more about benefits at Google .
Responsibilities
  • Plan and perform rapid prototyping of machine learning techniques applied to problems in science.
  • Undertake exploratory analysis to inform experimentation and research directions.
  • Make improvements to model architectures and training procedures of machine learning models.
  • Implement tools, libraries, and frameworks to speed up and enable new research.
  • Report and present software developments, experimental results, and data analysis clearly and efficiently.

Information collected and processed as part of your Google Careers profile, and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Google's Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy .
Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See also Google's EEO Policy , Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal , Belonging at Google , and How we hire .
If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form .
Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.
To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees, or any other organization location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, are subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.

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