Engineering and architecture
Chemical engineer
Design chemical plant equipment and devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products, such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, detergents, cement, paper, and pulp, by applying principles and technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering.
Median pay
$125,040
Growth to 2035
+5%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
1,100
Time to qualify*
Minimal
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Chemical engineer
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Chemical engineer: 70% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
- Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
- Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
- Design and plan layout of equipment.
- Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
- Perform tests and monitor performance of processes throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables such as temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure.
- Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.
Also called: Chemical Engineer · Development Engineer · Engineer · Engineering Scientist · Process Control Engineer · Process Engineer · Project Engineer · Refinery Process Engineer
Outlook and AI
Chemical engineers held 21,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 22,900 by 2035 (+5%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Chemical engineer vs. Materials engineer
- Chemical engineer vs. Industrial engineer
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- Chemical engineer vs. Chemist
- Chemical engineer vs. Architectural and engineering managers
- Chemical engineer vs. Petroleum engineer
- Chemical engineer vs. Mechanical engineer
- Chemical engineer vs. Nuclear engineer
- Chemical engineer vs. Engineers, all other