Home Schools University of Florida Materials Engineering
Engineering · Materials Engineering Rank #2 of 33

Materials Engineeringat University of Florida

Graduates earn $79,200/yr in their first year — about 11.0% above the national Materials Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $741K; scenarios range from $656K to $770K depending on AI disruption.

Gainesville, FL Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
73 STRONG
74
Optimistic
71
Pessimistic
Earnings
$79,200
1-year post-graduation
ROI
32.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$741K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Florida

Your strong outcomes from UF's Materials Engineering program reflect the university's overall engineering prowess and the critical, diverse demand for materials specialists across high-tech sectors. Graduates benefit from a robust curriculum grounded in fundamental science, preparing you to innovate with metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. This expertise is highly sought after by major employers in Florida's aerospace, defense, and burgeoning medical device industries, alongside national leaders in semiconductors and advanced manufacturing. You'll enter a field where problem-solving involves developing next-gen aircraft components, creating biocompatible implants, or optimizing electronics. To maximize your competitive edge and future-proof your career, actively pursue research opportunities or internships that allow you to specialize and apply your skills in interdisciplinary teams.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$656K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple25.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$741K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple29.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$770K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple30.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Florida's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Materials Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Materials engineers
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
$108,310/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Cost estimators
-4.2% 10-yr growth · 16,900 openings/yr
$77,070/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Materials Engineering

How University of Florida stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Michigan State University
MI · Public
69
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
14.0x
ROI
University of Wisconsin-Madison
WI · Public
70
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
18.0x
ROI
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
71
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
18.0x
ROI
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
IL · Public
69
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
14.1x
ROI
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI · Public
68
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
12.9x
ROI
Also at University of Florida

Other top programs at University of Florida

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Florida, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Materials Engineering at University of Florida

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Materials Engineering at University of Florida?

This program scores 73/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Materials Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.

Will AI replace Materials Engineering careers?

With 48% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $655,776 in decade earnings vs $770,093 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.