Metallurgical Engineers and Technicians

How to become a Refractories Engineer

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 耐火材料工程技术人员

Researches and designs processes for making refractory materials and puts the technology to work in production.

Main tasks

Researching the structure and the mechanical, thermal, electrical and in service properties of refractories
Researching the features of natural and synthetic raw materials and developing new refractories
Researching how refractories are used and made
Calculating material balances and researching processes, equipment and production control for raw material preparation, firing and finishing
Appraising the feasibility and technical and economic case for new, rebuilt or expanded refractory plants, designing site plans, pipework, production and utility facilities and processes, supporting construction and acceptance, and guiding commissioning
Organising refractory production, analysing and solving technical problems and directing workers
Directing the inspection of raw materials, production and finished products
Writing and revising operating methods, technical rules and management procedures for refractory production
Setting standards, quality targets and design codes for refractory products

Ways in

University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 105 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Materials Science and Engineering (0804); majors such as Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Physics, Materials Chemistry, Metallic Materials Engineering, Inorganic Non-metallic Materials Engineering. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Intelligent Iron and Steel Metallurgy Technology (430401). Vocational major 430401 Intelligent Iron and Steel Metallurgy Technology (钢铁智能冶金技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Materials and Metallurgy Applied Technology (230501). Vocational major 230501 Materials and Metallurgy Applied Technology (材料化冶金应用技术), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Metallurgical Electromechanical Equipment Inspection.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥79,500 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥55,200 to CN¥123,700. One in ten earn less than CN¥42,000 and one in ten more than CN¥192,300.
This is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥75,505 a year (2025), middle half CN¥46,500 to CN¥146,204.
This is the figure for the minor group Metallurgical Engineers and Technicians, not for this job alone.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Engineering and Technical Personnel holds 2.35% of everyone employed in China; 17.1% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
48.9% are under 35, 45.1% are 35 to 54 and 6% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 35 to 39.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Refractories Engineer?

Ways in include: Engineering degrees; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Intelligent Iron and Steel Metallurgy Technology (430401); Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Materials and Metallurgy Applied Technology (230501).

How much does a Refractories Engineer earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥79,500 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥75,505 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Refractories Engineer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026