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Metallurgical Engineers

Outlook

Employment for materials engineers is expected to show little or no change through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The DOL predicts that job prospects will be best for those who train in traditional fields of materials engineering, such as metallurgy. Also, metallurgical engineers should find sufficient job openings because of the low number of new graduates relative to other engineering disciplines.

Metallurgical engineers will increasingly work with companies that are developing new methods of processing low-grade ores, that is, those that have not yet been tapped because they are not as profitable as higher grades. As the world's ore deposits become further depleted, engineers will be needed to locate new sites and devise new alloy combinations. Also, metallurgical engineers will find jobs with companies that develop new methods of recycling scrap metals and those that devise nonpolluting processing systems and cleanup methods for existing plants. Metallurgial engineers who have completed internships or co-op programs and who have a background in computer modeling and simulations will have an advantage in the job market.

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