rubber technologist
Rubber technologists develop compound formulations to respond to specific needs and attain the required in-rubber properties, starting from technical specifications and application demands. They have knowledge of physical and chemical characteristics of raw rubber material and the process to convert it into market products.
rubber technologist rubber technologists develop compound formulations to respond to specific needs and attain the required in-rubber properties, starting from technical specifications and application demands. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include analytical chemistry, manufacturing processes, physics, chemical processes, polymer chemistry.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £48,776 a year for Engineering professionals n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £39,653 to £61,717 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2129). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure is available for this career.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Engineering and Technology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Production and Processing
- Design
- Mechanical
What you'd actually do
- Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
- Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.
- Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
- Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications.
- Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.
- Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special characteristics.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does rubber technologist do?
Rubber technologists develop compound formulations to respond to specific needs and attain the required in-rubber properties, starting from technical specifications and application demands. They have knowledge of physical and chemical characteristics of raw rubber material and the process to convert it into market products.
What skills does rubber technologist need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include analytical chemistry, manufacturing processes, physics, chemical processes, polymer chemistry, rubber technology. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace rubber technologist?
Our AI-durability model gives rubber technologist a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.