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Materials Science Engineering Jobs in California

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 ...

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Materials Science Engineering information

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$13

$26

$43

How much do materials science engineering jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for materials 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 is materials science engineering?

Materials science engineering is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on understanding, designing, and developing materials with specific properties and functions. Engineers in this field study the structure, properties, processing, and performance of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Their work is crucial in industries like aerospace, automotive, electronics, and biomedical devices, where material selection and innovation can impact product performance and sustainability.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a materials science engineer?

To thrive as a Materials Science Engineer, you need a solid background in chemistry, physics, and engineering principles, often supported by at least a bachelor's degree in materials science or a related field. Familiarity with materials characterization tools (such as SEM, XRD), CAD software, and laboratory information management systems is typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication distinguish top performers in this field. These competencies are crucial for developing innovative materials, ensuring product quality, and collaborating across multidisciplinary teams to meet industry needs.

What are some common challenges materials science engineers face when working on product development teams?

Materials Science Engineers often encounter challenges related to balancing material performance with cost, manufacturability, and sustainability requirements. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams means effectively communicating complex material properties to non-specialists and integrating feedback from design, manufacturing, and quality assurance departments. Staying current with rapidly evolving material technologies and regulations can also be demanding, but it offers opportunities for innovation and career growth.

What are the job opportunities for materials science engineering?

Materials Science Engineering offers job opportunities in industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, and manufacturing. Professionals in this field can work as research scientists, materials engineers, quality control specialists, or product development engineers, often requiring knowledge of materials testing, characterization tools, and relevant certifications. Employment can be found in both private companies and government laboratories, with roles involving research, development, and process improvement.

What is the difference between Materials Science Engineering vs Materials Engineering?

AspectMaterials Science EngineeringMaterials Engineering
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Materials Science or EngineeringBachelor's or Master's in Materials Science or Materials Engineering
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, manufacturing, R&D departmentsManufacturing plants, quality control, product development
Industry UsageResearch institutions, aerospace, automotive, electronicsManufacturing, production, quality assurance
Common Search/ComparisonYesYes

Materials Science Engineering and Materials Engineering are closely related fields. Both require similar educational backgrounds and are used across industries like aerospace, automotive, and electronics. However, Materials Science Engineering tends to focus more on the fundamental properties and research of materials, while Materials Engineering emphasizes practical application, manufacturing processes, and product development.

What do you do as a materials science engineer?

A materials science engineer researches, develops, and tests materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites to improve their properties and performance. They often work in laboratories or manufacturing environments, using tools like microscopy and spectroscopy, and may require knowledge of engineering principles, materials characterization, and safety protocols.
What are the most commonly searched types of Materials Science Engineering jobs in California? The most popular types of Materials Science Engineering jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Materials Science Engineering jobs? Cities in California with the most Materials Science Engineering job openings:
Infographic showing various Materials Science Engineering job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 73% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 3% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 94% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $54,840 per year, or $26.4 per hour.

Materials Science Ai Engineer

Tranzeal Incorporated

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 20 days ago


Job description

Job Summary:
Tranzeal Incorporated is a company focused on materials science and AI applications. They are seeking a Materials Science AI Engineer to design, develop, and deploy AI and ML models to address material physics challenges and enhance materials informatics initiatives.
Responsibilities:
• Design, develop and deploy multi-modal AI, ML, and hybrid physical-based models to solve ground-breaking material physics and design problems.
• Aggregate, process, transform and quality-control experimental and simulation data for modeling and analysis.
• Design, develop, and maintain data workflows to support materials informatics initiatives. Optimize data pipelines and model execution on parallel cloud systems (e.g., Azure, GCP, AWS).
• Collaborate with materials scientists, chemists, and software engineers to integrate analytics and predictive modeling into core R&D workflows.
• Document code, workflows, and best practices to support reproducible research.
• Apply AI and data analytics to optimize material synthesis and processing parameters in real-time, minimizing defects, improving consistency.
Qualifications:
Required:
• PhD (Material Science or Machine learning preferred)
• Strong proficiency in programming languages like Python and C++.
• Experience with machine learning and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• Experience with data cleansing, preprocessing, and feature engineering
Preferred:
• Design, develop and deploy multi-modal AI, ML, and hybrid physical-based models to solve ground-breaking material physics and design problems
Company:
Tranzeal is an industry leading global Business Transformation Service Provider. Founded in , the company is headquartered in San Jose, USA, with a team of 201-500 employees. The company is currently Growth Stage.

Tranzeal logo

About Tranzeal

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Tranzeal is an industry leading global Business Transformation Service Provider. We offer specific consulting services as well as pre-packaged, industry specific solutions and services to companies around the world. Since our foundation, Tranzeal has evolved from a small start up company to a mid market player dedicated to providing solutions and services to SMB and large enterprise customers. Our Consulting Services are dedicated to helping our Clients maximize their investments in IT and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the business. Tranzeal has built its center of competency in Enterprise Resource Planning, Business Intelligence, Supply Chain Management, Customer Resource Management and Information Integration solutions, as well as specific Service orientated offerings such as Test, Quality Assurance and Data Management.

Industry

Business management consulting

Company size

51 - 200 Employees

Headquarters location

San Jose, CA, US

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