Will “Research Engineer” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

2.1% Chance of Automation

“Research Engineer” will not be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #88 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

Care to share? Click for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or XING. 👍

Job Description

Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 17-2131.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 97,050.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 46.00
Currently, there are 26,800 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Materials Engineers”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Research Engineer”

Conduct training sessions on new material products, applications, or manufacturing methods for customers and their employees.
Guide technical staff engaged in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives as necessary.
Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace.
Monitor material performance and evaluate material deterioration.
Design processing plants and equipment.
Review new product plans and make recommendations for material selection based on design objectives, such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
Plan and implement laboratory operations for the purpose of developing material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
Teach in colleges and universities.
Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
Replicate the characteristics of materials and their components with computers.
Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications.
Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists.
Supervise production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities, smelting or foundry operations, or nonmetallic materials production operations.

Related Technology & Tools

Rotating furnaces
Colorimeters
Jar mills
Fume hoods
Gyratory crushers
Adiabatic bomb calorimeters
Band saws
Spectrocolorimeters
Turbidimeters
High pressure liquid chromatograph HPLC equipment
Water burets
Tension gauges
Computerized numerical control CNC lathes
Particle size analyzers
Etching equipment
Laboratory glove boxes
Laboratory sample splitters
Laboratory blenders
Accelerated weathering machines
Laboratory microwave ovens
Injection molding machines
Compression testing machines
Fiberscopes
Impact testers
Infrared monitors
Ultrasonic baths
Charpy impact testers
Tensile testers
Infrared cameras
Diffractometers
Oscillating water tunnels
Laboratory pulverizers
Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometers EDS
Differential scanning calorimeters
Lapping wheels
Liquid conditioners
High temperature material testing systems
Graphite element furnaces
Tube furnaces
Servohydraulic test machines
Hydraulic presses
Optical compound microscopes
Thermal analysis systems
Sonometers
Mechanical sieve shakers
Stabilometers
Vacuum furnaces
Laboratory test sieves
Viscosity meters
Scanning electron microscopes SEM
Twin screw extruders
Friction and wear testers
Freeze-thaw test units
Microwave sintering furnaces
Electrostatic separators
Durometers
Gel permeation chromatographs GPC
Fourier transform infrared FTIR spectroscopes
Gauss meters
Slurry blenders
Atomic absorption AA spectrophotometers
Adhesion testers
Atomic force microscopes
Counter-current mixers
Vacuum coating systems
Laminators
Kneading compactors
Spectrometers
Reflectometers
Masonry cutters
Stereo microscopes
Cement mixers
Differential thermal analyzers
Vacuum evaporators
Permeability measuring devices
Pit depth gauges
Pycnometers
Electronic toploading balances
Computer numerical controlled CNC milling machines
Concrete test hammers
Water-cooled saws
Vibration analysis equipment
Magnetic susceptibility balances
Accelerometers
Laboratory vacuum pumps
Digitizing oscilloscopes
Ultrasonic dismembrators
Flotation columns
Mass spectrometers
Spectrophotometers
Attritors
Drying ovens
Safety glasses
Isodynamic separators
Gas chromatographs GC
Electron microprobe analyzers EMPA
Specific gravity balances
X ray fluorescence XRF spectrometers
Personal computers
Ultrasound inspection equipment
Steam autoclaves
Solid state laser systems
Hot blenders
Filter presses
Laser Doppler velocimeters LDV
Digital cameras
Abrasion testers
Acoustic impediography equipment
Lathes
Load frames
Current versus voltage IV curve tracers
High-vacuum tensile testing chambers
Thermogravimetric analyzers
Wind tunnels
Muffle furnaces
Linear variable differential transformers LVDT
Film thickness measurement systems
Heated walk-in environmental chambers
Safety gloves
Extensometers
Microwave autoclaves
Sample presses
Polishing machines
Ultrasonicators
Flame photometers
Deionizers
Analytical balances
Optical emission spectrometers
X ray fluorescence XRF analyzers
Melt spinners
Porosity indicators
Microscope photo attachments
Drop weight impact towers
Binocular compound microscopes
Ball mills
Holding jigs
High tension separators
Solvent dryers
Dataloggers
Screw-driven test machines
Microwave tube furnaces
Temperature regulated shaking water baths
Benchtop centrifuges
Magnetic separators
Coordinate measuring machines CMM
Electrometers
Balling drums
Hardness testers
pH testers
Roll crushers
Ammeters
Strain gauges
Plasma-arc furnaces
Calorimeters
Inert atmosphere box furnaces
Ultraviolet UV exposure units
Micromanipulators
Rod mills
Jaw crushers
Sanding machines
Twin-screw extruders
Solar simulators
Polarizing microscopes
Molecular pumps
Gas detectors

Microsoft Word
Fault detection isolation and recovery FDIR software
Microsoft Visual Basic.NET
Stereolithography SLA rapid prototyping systems
Microsoft Excel
Computer aided design CAD software
Graphics software
Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
QMC CM4D
National Instruments LabVIEW
ANSYS Multiphysics
Microsoft Visual Basic
Microsoft Outlook
Data entry software
Image analysis systems
Minitab
Microsoft Visio
IBM Notes
SAP
Web browser software
MTS Testworks
Word processing software
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Dassault Systemes CATIA
Fused deposition modeling FDM rapid prototyping systems
Autodesk AutoCAD
Microsoft Office
C++
PTC Creo Parametric
Microsoft SharePoint
Digital image correlation DIC software