Chemical Engineers
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.
This is a specialization of
EngineersCareer Overview Video
AI Impact Assessment
AI Resilience Score
Score 3/6: balanced factors means AI will assist but humans remain essential
How we calculated this:
46% of tasks can be accelerated by AI
+3% projected (2024-2034)
EPOCH score: 16/25
Key Responsibilities
- 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.
Education & Training
Typical Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
Time to Job Ready
4-6 years
Based on Job Zone 4. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.
Technology Skills
Key Abilities
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Find jobs and training programs for chemical engineers- Median salary: $112K/year
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Compensation Details
Based on 21,140 employed workers
Also Known As
Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
O*NET Code: 17-2041.00