Materials Engineeringat University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Graduates earn $75,041/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Materials Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $824K; scenarios range from $718K to $863K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Michigan
As a top-tier engineering institution, the University of Michigan's Materials Engineering program benefits from a robust industry pipeline, particularly within Michigan's deep automotive, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing sectors. You'll find graduates highly sought after by companies like Ford, GM, and various Tier 1 suppliers, who rely on materials expertise for everything from lightweighting vehicles to developing next-generation battery components. The strong research focus at UMich also prepares students for R&D roles in new material discovery and process optimization.
However, the "high AI risk" for this field is crucial to understand. It means routine tasks in materials characterization, testing, and even some design are increasingly being automated or augmented by AI. To thrive, you'll need to develop strong computational skills, focusing on data analytics, machine learning for materials science, and simulation tools, positioning yourself at the intersection of materials science and AI innovation.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Michigan's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Materials Engineering
How University of Michigan stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Michigan
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Michigan, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Materials Engineering at University of Michigan
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Materials Engineering at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor?
A score of 68/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Materials Engineering field.
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 $718,280 in decade earnings vs $863,321 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.