Compare careers
Factual side-by-side attributes from the imported O*NET and BLS OEWS datasets. No career is ranked or recommended.
Career A (or your current career)
Photonics Engineers
Career B (or your target career)
Materials Scientists
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Comparison table
| Metric | Photonics Engineers | Materials Scientists |
|---|---|---|
| National median salary | $122,930 | $117,790 |
| Local median salary | Not published | Not published |
| National employment | 154,070 | 8,470 |
| Typical education | Bachelor's Degree | Bachelor's Degree |
| Job zone | 4 | 4 |
| Important skills | Critical Thinking, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking | Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Science, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension |
| Related careers | Mechanical Engineers, Automotive Engineers, Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, Calibration Technologists and Technicians, Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, Industrial Engineers |
Career transition: skill overlap
Skill overlap
84%
16 of 19 target skills
Target-only skills
3
Current-only skills
3
Skill overlap compares O*NET skills rated at importance 3.0 or above for each occupation. It is a measure of listed skill overlap, not a probability of getting the job.
Shared skills
- Active Listening—
- Complex Problem Solving+0.1 level
- Science+0.9 level
- Critical Thinking—
- Reading Comprehension—
- Writing—
- Active Learning—
- Speaking+0.1 level
- Judgment and Decision Making—
- Mathematics—
- Operations Analysis—
- Monitoring+0.4 level
- Systems Evaluation—
- Systems Analysis—
- Coordination—
- Learning Strategies+0.1 level
Only in Materials Scientists
- Persuasion
- Time Management
- Social Perceptiveness
Only in Photonics Engineers
- Technology Design
- Instructing
- Quality Control Analysis