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Metallurgical and Materials Technicians

ANZSCO ID 312912

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
3,600
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
88%
Female Share
25%
Average age
38
About this data

Summary

Metallurgical or Materials Technicians test materials as part of mineral and metal processing and refining, or for research into metals, ceramics, polymers and other materials in support of Metallurgists and Materials Engineers.

Specialisations: Dye Penetrant Testing Technician, Heat Treatment Technician, Magnetic Testing Technician, Metallurgy Laboratory Technician, Non-destructive Testing Technician, Petroleum Products Laboratory Technician, Petroleum Refinery Laboratory Technician, Pressure Testing Technician, Ultrasound Technician.

Extensive experience or a certificate IV in manufacturing technology or another related field is needed to work as a Metallurgical or Materials Technician.

Tasks

  • Studies the properties of metals and other materials.

  • Develops and improves existing materials.

  • Develops new combinations of metals (alloy development) and creates products that combine metals with other materials.

  • Develops techniques to repair metal damage.

  • Advises engineers and manufacturers on industrial processes that use metals and the correct selection of metals for specific uses.

  • Checks the quality of metals or other materials used in new products.

  • Conducts quality tests and other tests to detect defects.

  • Uses ultrasonic, radiographic and other non-destructive testing methods.

  • Interprets results from radiographs, meters and other indicators.

  • Write evidence briefs for litigation cases and appear as an expert witness in court.

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
High skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
3129 Other Building and Engineering Technicians
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Building and Engineering Technicians, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 88% of people employed as Metallurgical and Materials Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 22 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 50 hours per week in their main job. This is 6 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
36.0%
2
Mining
31.3%
3
Manufacturing
15.1%
4
Construction
4.4%
5
Other industries
7.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

13.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

10.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.3% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

43.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

2.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.2% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Metallurgical and Materials Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 13.7 31.6
VIC 10.2 25.6
QLD 21.3 20.0
SA 7.4 7.0
WA 43.5 10.8
TAS 1.6 2.0
NT 2.1 1.0
ACT 0.2 1.9


  • Around 50% of Metallurgical and Materials Technicians live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Western Australia has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
38
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
25%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Metallurgical and Materials Technicians is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 25% of the workforce. This is 23 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Metallurgical and Materials Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 1.0 5.0
20-24 7.4 9.3
25-34 31.7 22.9
35-44 23.8 22.0
45-54 22.6 21.6
55-59 8.3 9.0
60-64 3.6 6.0
65 and Over 1.7 4.2
Median Age 38 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Extensive experience or a certificate IV in manufacturing technology or another related field is needed to work as a Metallurgical or Materials Technician.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Metal and Engineering and Resources and Infrastructure Industry VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Metallurgical and Materials Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 3.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 17.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 19.6 11.6
Certificate III/IV 30.2 21.1
Year 12 16.5 18.1
Year 11 3.8 4.8
Year 10 and below 8.2 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Building and Engineering Technicians who are hardworking, motivated and can multitask under pressure.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 66%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 64%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 64%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 63%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 63%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 61%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 59%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 59%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 57%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 57%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 54%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 52%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 50%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 50%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 48%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 48%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 46%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 87%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 82%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 78%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 78%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 71%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 70%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 67%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 66%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 64%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 58%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 56%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 51%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 43%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 41%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 41%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 38%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 37%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 37%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 35%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 35%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 70%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 68%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 68%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 66%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 66%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 66%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 64%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 63%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 61%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 61%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 59%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 54%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 48%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 82%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 82%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 81%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 81%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 79%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 79%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 77%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 75%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 74%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 73%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 72%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 71%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 68%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 68%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 67%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 66%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 66%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 63%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 63%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 62%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 86%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 62%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 48%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 81%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 76%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 43%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 92%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 85%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 84%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 83%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 83%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 82%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 77%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 76%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 71%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 71%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 71%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 70%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 68%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 63%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 63%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 63%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 63%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-2131.00 - Materials Engineers.

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