Also called: Process Engineer, ChemE
Uses chemistry, physics and math to design the processes that make fuels, medicines, plastics, food and chemicals at huge scale.
A recipe that works in a beaker has to work in a tank the size of a house. You run calculations on how fast to heat and stir it, then walk the plant in a hard hat and flame-resistant coveralls checking a reactor that keeps running a little too hot.
BLS May 2024 median $121,860; percentiles approximate.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in chemical engineering; master's or PhD for research roles.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemical Engineering.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). BLS 2024-34 projection.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI speeds process simulation and literature research, trimming some junior desk work; plant scale-up, safety reviews and field fixes stay human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP Physics, Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.