Metallurgical and Materials Engineers
Job description
These individuals study metals and minerals. They plan, design, and test machines and processes. This enables them to concentrate, extract, refine, and process materials (e.g. metals and alloys). They work for:
- Engineering consulting firms
- Mining, processing, and metal manufacturing companies
- The government
- Research institutes
- Educational institutions
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Design and specify various processes (moulding, modelling, shaping, etc.) for metals and other materials.
- Carry out various studies (chemical, physical, analytical, etc.).
- Recommend equipment selection and design.
- Develop corrosion control measures.
- Conduct operational analyses.
- Coordinate various operations (metal refining, smelting, production of non-metallic ore, etc.).
- Supervise technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists.
- Develop alloys and systems for extracting metals from ores or non-metallic materials to meet specific requirements.
Advancement and mobility
- There is a high degree of mobility between metallurgical and materials engineering specializations and lower-level positions.
- Some mobility exists between metallurgical and materials engineering specializations and other engineers and scientists.
- Experience leads to senior or supervisory positions.
- These individuals may work in related fields (science, engineering, sales, marketing, management, etc.).
Hourly wage
Not available.Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
600
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 19.1% Female
- 80.9% Male
Not available.
- 19.1% Female
- 80.9% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$101,000
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 5413, 541424% of jobs
-
NAICS 33119% of jobs
-
NAICS 336418% of jobs
-
NAICS 3326% of jobs
-
NAICS 916% of jobs
-
Others27% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 5413, 541424% of jobs
-
NAICS 33119% of jobs
-
NAICS 336418% of jobs
-
NAICS 3326% of jobs
-
NAICS 916% of jobs
-
Others27% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Metallurgical engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 80%
20% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 83.3%
16.7% of graduates pursue further studies
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) to practice as an engineer and carry out activities reserved for engineers.
Sometimes required
- A Doctorate or Master’s degree in a related engineering discipline may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Active listening
- Written expression
- Oral expression
- Solving complex problems
- Science
- Mathematics
- Active learning
- Result evaluation
- Judgment and decision-making
- System analysis
- Operation analysis
- Quality control analysis
- Coordination
- Teaching
- Systems evaluation
- Human resource management
- Time management
- Learning strategies
Abilities
- Awareness of issues
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Written expression
- Verbal skills
- Near vision
- Classification
- Mathematical reasoning
- Information organization
- Speech clarity
- Visualization
- Basic numeracy
- Idea generation
- Speech recognition
- Distance vision
- Originality
- Perception speed
- Processing flexibility
- Selective attention
Knowledge and attributes
- Critical thinking
- Capacity to influence and mobilize
- Knowledge of production and treatment
- Versatility
- Rigour
- Creativity
- Capacity for synthesis
- Knowledge of engineering and technology
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of design
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work with numbers
- Create, design
- Carry out research
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Official name of the NOC 21322
Metallurgical and materials engineers
Job titles
- Foundry engineer
- Refining and metalworking engineer
- Materials engineer
- Extractive engineer
- Metallurgical engineer
- Ceramics engineer
- Electrometallurgical engineer
- Coal preparation consulting engineer
- Hydrometallurgical engineer
- Physical metallurgical engineer
- Extractive metallurgy engineer
- Corrosion engineer
- Pyrometallurgical engineer
- Welding engineer
Skill type
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
Related occupations
Last update: January 29, 2026
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