Plastics Engineers

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) predicts that employment for materials engineers who work in plastics product manufacturing will grow by 6.8 percent (faster than the average for all careers) from 2023 through 2033. There will continue to be good opportunities for plastics engineers because the field is so large and plastics are used in so many products. More industries are incorporating plastics into their product lines, which will create opportunities for qualified plastics engineers and technicians. As more plastics products are substituted for glass, paper, and metal products and parts, plastics engineers will be needed to oversee design and production processes. Plastics engineers will increasingly be required to develop environmentally friendly products and processes, and play a role in developing easily recyclable products for certain industries.

Many openings for plastics engineers will result from the need to replace workers who retire or leave the field for other reasons. Some openings will come as a result of experienced engineers who advance to sales, management, or other related occupations within the plastics industry. Those with the most advanced skills and experience, as always, will enjoy the best future career outlook.