Ceramic Engineer
A ceramic engineer specializes in the development and production of ceramic materials used across various industries, including aerospace, telecommunications, healthcare, and transportation. They focus on creating innovative solutions by combining ceramics with other materials, such as polymers and metals, to enhance functionality in products like insulators, tiles, and biomedical devices. Typically, ceramic engineers work within interdisciplinary teams alongside chemists and physicists, applying their expertise to solve complex engineering challenges.
The profession generally requires a bachelor's degree in ceramic engineering or materials science, with advanced degrees often pursued for career advancement. The role offers a median yearly salary of approximately $104,100, and employment prospects are promising, with a growth outlook of about 5%. Ceramic engineers may work in diverse environments, including laboratories, factories, and offices, and are exposed to various risks associated with their work. As creative problem solvers, they play a crucial role in the advancement of technology and materials that people rely on every day.
Ceramic Engineer
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Manufacturing, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Interests: Science, engineering, solving problems, working alone or as part of a team
Earnings (Yearly Median): $104,100 per year $50.05 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 5% (Faster than average)
Entry-Level Education Bachelor's degree
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training None
Overview
Sphere of Work. The work of ceramic engineers is essential to the production of technologies people rely on every day. Ceramic engineering is relevant to many fields because most engineers use ceramic materials, regardless of their specialty. These play a role in aerospace, metallurgy, telecommunications, health care, and transportation.
Ceramic engineers create ceramic tiles and insulators capable of operating under intense temperatures and in highly pressurized environments. They also work to produce new or improved materials for industrial and technological applications by combining ceramic fibers with polymers and metals.
Work Environment. Ceramic engineers frequently work with chemists, physicists, and medical professionals to develop materials and products they can use in their day-to-day work. These are often as a part of an interdisciplinary team focused on a product specialty, such as thermal stresses associated with engines. They study terminology relevant to their collaborators’ disciplines so they can communicate ideas accurately. Ceramic engineers regularly work with a team of colleagues and clients to produce a variety of ceramic-engineered technologies.
Occupation Interest. Ceramic engineers are creative problem solvers who enjoy using their knowledge of engineering and science to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges. They must be able to work both independently and as part of a team.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Ceramic engineers work as researchers, designers, and analysts. Ceramic engineering is used in many technologies, and ceramic engineers are present in a diverse array of industries. Most are employed by the transportation, communication, energy, and defense industries.
Most ceramic engineers begin their careers by assisting senior engineers. As they gain experience, they can earn promotions to positions with more responsibility and autonomy. Senior engineers often oversee other engineers and technicians as project supervisors or managers. Workdays often involve meetings in which ceramic engineers interact with colleagues to discuss the status of projects, prepare budgets, and plan for future operations.
Ceramic engineers produce materials used in a wide array of products, including cell phones, vehicles, fuel cells, DVDs, magnets, and sinks. In telecommunications, they work to meet industrial demands for improved fiber optics. In biotechnology, they create materials used in the production of prosthetic teeth, joints, and bones. Ceramic engineers develop coatings that allow various products and technologies to withstand intense temperatures. Contractors often hire ceramic engineers to develop specific products, such as bulletproof body armor to protect law-enforcement and military personnel. Some highly experienced ceramic engineers teach engineering science to college students.
At both university and government laboratories, ceramic engineers focus on research, creating new materials and ceramic technologies. Researchers may miniaturize ceramic components for use in nanotechnology, use rare minerals for superconductivity, or explore specialties such as bio-ceramics. Bio-ceramics involves the development of materials compatible with the human body for use in various medical procedures.
Ceramic Research Engineers (006.061-018). Ceramic Research Engineers conduct research to develop new ceramic products.
Ceramic Test Engineers (006.061-022). Ceramic Test Engineers conduct tests on ceramic products.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Ceramic engineers work in various settings depending on the type of project they are working on. Different work environments are used as projects move through their various stages of development. Ceramic engineers work in offices, laboratories, factories, and test sites as they design, manufacture, and evaluate ceramic products.
Plant Environment. Given the diversity of their work environment, ceramic engineers can face a wide range of risks. Laboratories and industrial facilities expose engineers to extreme temperatures, sharp tools, and heavy machinery. Other potential dangers include high-voltage electricity, pressurized air and water, lasers, and toxic chemicals.
Human Environment. Ceramic engineers work with teams of scientists, physiologists, and other engineers. Some work under the direction of a project manager, while others work more independently.
Technological Environment. The work of a ceramic engineer utilizes numerous technologies, including sophisticated computer systems, laboratory instruments, and communications equipment.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. Individuals considering a career in ceramic engineering should study science and mathematics. Courses in laboratory science are particularly important for aspiring engineers. Art classes can familiarize students with the materials that are often used in ceramic-engineering processes, such as glass. Advanced placement (AP) classes can help students better understand concepts necessary to pursue engineering at universities. Students interested in ceramic engineering can also enroll in camps and workshops that provide them with the opportunity to work firsthand with experienced engineers and learn about the discipline’s materials and methods.
Postsecondary. Undergraduate students should enroll in a ceramic-engineering or materials-science program at an accredited university. Course work includes thermodynamics, thermal processes in materials, ceramic-powder processing, glass science, material mechanics, chemical properties, and molecular bonding. Students conduct research in laboratories in order to acquire a working knowledge of lab equipment as well as techniques such as sintering, the process of making objects from substances in the form of a powder. College seniors regularly design and implement a thesis project prior to completing their engineering program.
Graduate programs enable ceramic engineers to hone their skills and become experts in one of the field’s many disciplines. Ceramic engineers sometimes earn both a master’s and a doctoral degree in ceramic engineering or another engineering field. They may also do graduate work in business or medicine, depending on their professional goals, as such credentials are frequently required to obtain managerial and faculty positions in the field of ceramic engineering.
Students can work as interns or research assistants to ceramic-engineering professionals in order to earn income while gaining experience and knowledge. Study-abroad experiences can provide students with insight regarding international practices in ceramic engineering. Students can participate in organizations such as Material Advantage and the Keramos Honor Society and compete in ceramic-engineering contests sponsored by the American Ceramic Society (ACS).
Related Occupations
− Metallurgical/Materials Engineer
Bibliography
"Materials Engineers." Occupational Outlook Handbook. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 Sept. 2023, www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/materials-engineers.htm. Accessed 13 Sept. 2023.