What does a Metallurgist do?
A metallurgist is responsible for producing metal items and resources to create components used for large manufacturing and industrial production. Metallurgists operate various machine tools and equipment, requiring them to have a strict adherence to the workplace's safety protocols and regulations to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. They also identify cost-efficient methods for the processes without compromising high-quality standards and business requirements. A metallurgist conducts troubleshooting and enhances technical solutions for production and manufacturing discrepancies.
Metallurgist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real metallurgist resumes:
- Lead research and process development projects on titanium wire and bar products.
- Maintain strong business relationship between NIKE, mills, fabric suppliers, and vertical apparel manufacturers to achieve mutual success.
- Lead project for first desktop land grid array (LGA) HVM socket that include leaded and lead free solder balls.
- Manage process development projects on forge and machine medical and aerospace parts.
- Manage and successfully complete carbon/epoxy material qualification and gain approval from FAA to use in manufacturing of composite aircraft parts.
- Supervise technical personnel and laboratories for aluminum and titanium forge products.
- Maintain integrity and quality of vertically cast aluminum ingots for fabrication into commercial aerospace and defense applications.
- Perform various metallurgical analyses to maintain and improve product quality per customers' specifications in accordance with ASTM metallurgical standards.
- Perform floppy disk particle characterization using VSM and SEM.
- Investigate product failures and internal defects with SEM and optical microscopes.
- Work with the Nike apparel lab and material vendors to meet competitive performance standards.
- Pipe products include o API pipe for oil well casing and natural gas transmission lines.
- Develop best-known method that is now in customer fabrication line as key candidate for prototyping.
- Collaborate with ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 coordinators to streamline procedures for all three management systems.
- Participate in ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 risk assessments as an internal auditor and as a safety and environmental field representative.
Metallurgist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Metallurgists are proficient in Continuous Improvement, Failure Analysis, and Aerospace. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Math skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Metallurgists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Continuous Improvement, 7%
Facilitated continuous improvement teams implementing a DMAIC strategy.
- Failure Analysis, 6%
Performed product processing disposition, internal and external failure analysis, corrective and preventive action instruction and guidance.
- Aerospace, 6%
Performed process review for heat treatment of parts for aerospace companies, such as Airbus, Weber metals etc.
- Heat Treat, 6%
Generate and revise internal material specifications, heat treat, testing & other process specifications or instructions per customer requirements.
- Data Analysis, 4%
Performed data analysis and presentation (including statistical analysis) and metallurgical balances.
- Aluminum, 4%
Commissioned and developed metallurgical practices for state-of-the-art casting complex for low cost vertical casting of aerospace-quality aluminum alloys.
Common skills that a metallurgist uses to do their job include "continuous improvement," "failure analysis," and "aerospace." You can find details on the most important metallurgist responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a metallurgist to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "materials engineers often work on projects related to other fields of engineering." Additionally, a metallurgist resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "preformed metallographic analysis including sample preparation, etching, grain structure imaging, and light optical microscopy. "
Math skills. Another essential skill to perform metallurgist duties is math skills. Metallurgists responsibilities require that "materials engineers use the principles of calculus and other advanced topics in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." Metallurgists also use math skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "developed linked databases to manage process control data, automate metallurgical accounting, track reagents, and employees statistics. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of metallurgists is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday metallurgist duties, as "materials engineers must understand the relationship between materials’ structures, their properties, how they are made, and how these factors affect the products they are used to make." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provided viable solutions to reduce or eliminate scrap and improve product quality and customer satisfaction. "
Speaking skills. metallurgist responsibilities often require "speaking skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "while working with technicians, technologists, and other engineers, materials engineers must state concepts and directions clearly." This resume example shows what metallurgists do with speaking skills on a typical day: "represented company on customer complaints. "
Writing skills. A commonly-found skill in metallurgist job descriptions, "writing skills" is essential to what metallurgists do. Metallurgist responsibilities rely on this skill because "materials engineers must write plans and reports clearly so that people without a materials engineering background can understand the concepts." You can also see how metallurgist duties rely on writing skills in this resume example: "maintained laboratory compliance with iso/ts 16949, iso 14001 environmental within lab and was responsible for writing and maintaining laboratory procedures. "
The three companies that hire the most metallurgists are:
- Freeport-McMoRan21 metallurgists jobs
- Carpenter Technology12 metallurgists jobs
- Nucor9 metallurgists jobs
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Compare different metallurgists
Metallurgist vs. Glass science engineer
A corrosion engineer plays a vital role in keeping machinery in good condition. They specialize in developing and implementing strategies to slow down or prevent corrosion, which damages machines and poses a threat to many industries. They conduct extensive research and analysis, create short- and long-term plans to combat corrosion, and develop new products. They may also perform repairs or upgrades on malfunctioning or damaged machinery, including replacing components as necessary.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, metallurgist responsibilities require skills like "failure analysis," "aerospace," "heat treat," and "aluminum." Meanwhile a typical glass science engineer has skills in areas such as "cae," "nvh," "tpm," and "analytical methods." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Glass science engineers tend to reach higher levels of education than metallurgists. In fact, glass science engineers are 9.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Metallurgist vs. Corrosion engineer
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, metallurgist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "continuous improvement," "aerospace," "heat treat," and "titanium." Meanwhile, a corrosion engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "cathodic protection," "corrosion control," "pipeline integrity," and "chemistry." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Corrosion engineers may earn a higher salary than metallurgists, but corrosion engineers earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $122,182. On the other hand, metallurgists receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $79,892.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Corrosion engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than metallurgists. In fact, they're 4.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Metallurgist vs. Refining engineer
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a metallurgist is likely to be skilled in "failure analysis," "aerospace," "heat treat," and "data analysis," while a typical refining engineer is skilled in "cost estimates," "construction packages," "economic analysis," and "decision support packages."
When it comes to education, refining engineers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to metallurgists. In fact, they're 7.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 5.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Metallurgist vs. Non-destructive testing engineer
Types of metallurgist
Updated January 8, 2025
