Also called: PSM Engineer, HAZOP Leader
Prevents explosions, toxic leaks and fires at refineries and chemical plants.
You lead a 'what if' meeting where operators and engineers go through a chemical unit line by line asking what happens if a valve sticks or a pump fails. You calculate the blast zone of a worst-case leak and decide where extra safety valves and alarms must go.
Oil, gas and chemical companies pay at the top of this range.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in chemical or mechanical engineering plus years of plant experience; CCPSC certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Tracks health and safety engineers.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps spot hazards in plant data and draft reviews; leading hazard studies and stop-work calls stay human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Statistics, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2111.
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.