Architecture & Engineering
Chemical Engineers
Also called: Chemical Engineer, Development Engineer, Engineer, Engineering Scientist
US median pay
$125,040
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+4.7%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,100
21,900 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 4/5 · Considerable preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.
- Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Systems Evaluation3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Operations Analysis3.6/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
Knowledge
- Engineering and Technology4.8/5
- Chemistry4.7/5
- Mathematics4.3/5
- Design4.0/5
- Physics4.0/5
- Production and Processing4.0/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 4 of 5 — Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Bachelor's degree91%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.