How to become a materials scientist
Official title: Materials scientist
Also called: Polymer scientist, Materials engineer, Metals scientist, Polymer chemist
Materials scientists study the structural and chemical properties of materials to develop new or improved products.
Main tasks
- Study structural and chemical properties
- Develop products and methods
- Test materials and products
- Plan experiments and research
- Develop theories and models
- Help people use materials and technology
- Prepare reports and presentations
- Talk to clients
How to become one
You need more than one qualification to become a materials scientist. You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a bachelor's degree in physics, chemistry, materials science, nanoscience or similar area; a master's degree in physics, chemistry, materials engineering or similar area. Other requirements: a doctoral degree in physics, chemistry, materials science or similar area.
Ways in
- University: Science degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 5 universities in New Zealand
Pay · Past change · AI and this job
- Most common pay: $76,500 to $119,000 a year (median $116,234), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $64,000 a year · Upper: $166,836 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Who does this work
- About 81 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
- In the group Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals, 46% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
- Where people in the group Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals work (2023 Census): Auckland 29.7%, Wellington 21.8%, and Canterbury 13.3%.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a materials scientist?
You need more than one qualification to become a materials scientist. You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a bachelor's degree in physics, chemistry, materials science, nanoscience or similar area; a master's degree in physics, chemistry, materials engineering or similar area. Other requirements: a doctoral degree in physics, chemistry, materials science or similar area.
How much does a materials scientist earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $116,234 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $76,500 to $119,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a materials scientist grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Will AI change the work of a materials scientist?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), 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
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026