Materials Engineer
Develops and tests materials — metals, polymers, ceramics, composites and nanomaterials — for industrial applications. Combines chemistry and engineering to improve material performance and develop new materials.
- AI exposure
- 70 of 100, high exposure
- Hiring trend
- Rising
- Hiring rate
- 35%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
At a glance
- Remote friendly
- No
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Time to senior
- 8 years
A day in the role
Tests concrete samples for a construction project, analyses a failed steel component, develops a new polymer blend for a manufacturer, and writes a material specification report.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 65,000-120,000
- Mid
- KES 160,000-350,000
- Senior
- KES 400,000-900,000
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 92% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside engineering the mean is 42, across 113 careers.
Named task by task
Already automated
- AI-powered material property prediction
- Automated quality control testing
- Generating material selection recommendations
- AI-assisted failure analysis
Still human
- Developing and testing new materials
- Analysing material properties and performance
- Selecting materials for specific applications
- Conducting failure analysis and quality control
- Collaborating with manufacturing teams
- Ensuring material compliance with standards
Task counts
- Displacing
- AI automates basic material testing
- Augmenting
- AI property prediction accelerates development
- Creating
- AI-driven materials discovery creates new research roles
Sources
Behind the rating- KIRDI
- Kenya manufacturing sector
- WEF Future of Jobs 2023
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Sugar ManufacturingKsh 40,000a year
- Trade Test Grade III in Motor Vehicle MechanicsKsh 41,500a year
- Certificate in Metal Processing TechnologyKsh 42,600a year
- Electrical Wireman Grade I, II and IIIKsh 54,000a year
- Artisan in Automotive EngineeringKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Building TechnologyKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Carpentry and JoineryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Electrical EngineeringKsh 67,189a year
How people get in
BSc Materials/Metallurgical Engineering + EBK
5-6 yearsVery high cost
BSc from UoN, JKUAT or TUK plus EBK registration
Who hires
- Cement Companies (Bamburi, EAPC)
- Steel Manufacturers
- Manufacturing Companies
- Research Institutions
- Universities
Common misconceptions
Materials engineering is just testing materials
It involves developing new materials, understanding atomic-level properties, predicting performance and solving complex engineering problems — materials engineers drive innovation.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Growth outlook
- Net demand change
- +8%
- Over
- 2026-2028
- Drivers
- Manufacturing growth,Construction quality demands,Local material development
- Headwinds
- Limited local R&D investment,Small manufacturing base
What to learn
- AI materials discovery platforms
- Advanced material characterisation
- Sustainable materials development
Related careers
Kenyan market notes
Kenya has manufacturing and construction sectors needing materials engineers — cement (Bamburi, EAPC, Savanna), steel (Devki, Steel Makers), plastics. Growing research at KIRDI and universities. Limited materials engineering roles — specialised field. Salary: entry KES 65,000-120,000, mid KES 160,000-350,000, senior KES 400,000-900,000+.
Further reading
This role is rated 70 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.