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Chemical Engineering

Types of Degrees Chemical Engineering Majors Are Earning

Those studying Chemical Engineering may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	13
Associate’s Degree	17
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	32

What Chemical Engineering Majors Need to Know

Studies in Chemical Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Chemical Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Chemical Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Chemical Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Chemical Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Chemical Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Chemical Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Chemical Engineering graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)
• Fiber Optics Instructor
• Optics Test Technician (Optics Test Tech)
• Laser Assembly Technician (Laser Assembly Tech)
• Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)
• Laser Technician (Laser Tech)
• Thin Film Technician (Thin Film Tech)
• Fiber Optics Specialist
• Fiber Optics Splicer
• Optics Technician (Optics Tech)
• Installation Technician (Installation Tech)
• Photonics Engineering Technician (Photonics Engineering Tech)
• Certified Laser Technician (Certified Laser Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Chemical Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.4%
Bachelor’s degree	9.2%
Postsecondary certificate	6.9%
Some college courses	6.8%
Master’s degree	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Chemical Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 76.2% of Chemical Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	15	23.8%
Men	48	76.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Chemical Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	51	81.0%
Asian	1	1.6%
Hispanic or Latino	6	9.5%
Black or African American	1	1.6%
Two or More Races	3	4.8%
International Students	1	1.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Chemical Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$59,570
4 years	$66,536
5 years	$74,003

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,003 — roughly 24% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Chemical Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $66,536 four years after completion — roughly 75% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician	4,498
Industrial Technology/Technician	3,881
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other	1,904
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Biomedical Technology/Technician	1,460
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician	1,272
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Welding Engineering Technology/Technician	609
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Computer Software Technology/Technician	278
Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology/Technician	271

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.