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Chemical Engineer

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Create substances that fluoresce different colors at different temperatures.

Key Facts & Information

Overview
Chemical engineers solve the problems that affect our everyday lives by applying the
principles of chemistry. If you enjoy working in a chemistry laboratory and are interested in
developing useful products for people, then a career as a chemical engineer might be in your
future.

Key Requirements
Persistence, curiosity, complex problem-solving skills, and excellent chemistry laboratory
skills

Minimum Degree

Bachelor's degree

Subjects to Study in High School

Chemistry, physics, computer science, geometry, algebra, algebra II, calculus, English

Median Salary

$98,340

$49,630

$15,080

$0k $25k $50k $75k $100k

Minimum Wage U.S. Mean Wage

Chemical Engineer

Understanding Median Salary

Projected Job Growth

2014-2024
Little or No Change (-2% to 2%)

Interview

Shauntel Poulson, Chemical Engineer at Proctor & Gamble

Related Occupations
● Engineering managers

● Agricultural engineers

● Product safety engineers

● Nuclear engineers

● Soil and water conservationists

● Foresters

● Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

● Nuclear power reactor operators

Source: O*Net

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Education

Training, Other Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in chemical engineering is required for almost all entry-level chemical
engineering jobs, but some basic research positions may require a graduate degree. Faculty
positions require graduate degrees. Engineers offering their services directly to the public
must be licensed. Continuing education to keep current with rapidly changing technology is
important for engineers.

Beginning chemical engineering graduates usually work under the supervision of experienced
chemical engineers and, in large companies, also may receive formal classroom or seminar-
type training. As new engineers gain knowledge and experience, they are assigned more
difficult projects with greater independence to develop designs, solve problems, and make
decisions. Engineers may advance to become technical specialists or to supervise a staff or
team of engineers and technicians.

Education and Training

A bachelor's degree in chemical engineering is required for all entry-level positions. Graduate
training is essential for chemical engineering faculty positions and many research and
development programs, but is not required for the majority of entry-level chemical engineering
jobs. Many experienced engineers obtain graduate degrees in engineering or business
administration to learn new technology and to broaden their education.

Admissions requirements for undergraduate engineering schools include a solid background

in mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus) and science (biology,
chemistry, and physics), with courses in English, social studies, and humanities. Bachelor's
degree programs in engineering typically are designed to last 4 years, but many students find
that it takes between 4 and 5 years to complete their studies.

Other Qualifications

Engineers should be creative, inquisitive, analytical, and detail oriented. They should be able to
work as part of a team and to communicate well, both orally and in writing. Communication
abilities are becoming increasingly important as engineers frequently interact with specialists
in a wide range of fields outside engineering.

On the Job

Nature of the Work

Chemical Engineer
 Chemical Engineer

Watch this video to see how Kimberly Ozkan-Bal's work as a Unilever chemical engineer helps
keep thousands of people clean.

Watch this video to see how Kimberly Ozkan-Bal's work as a Unilever chemical engineer helps
keep thousands of people clean.

Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry to solve problems involving the
production or use of chemicals and biochemicals. They design equipment and processes for
large-scale chemical manufacturing, as well as plan and test methods of manufacturing
products and treating byproducts, and supervise production. Chemical engineers also work in
a variety of manufacturing industries other than chemical manufacturing, such as those
producing energy, electronics, food, clothing, and paper. They also work in health care,
biotechnology, and business services. Chemical engineers apply principles of physics,
mathematics, and mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as chemistry. Some may
specialize in a particular chemical process, such as oxidation or polymerization. Others
specialize in a particular field, such as nanomaterials, or in the development of specific
products. They must be aware of all aspects of chemicals manufacturing and how the
manufacturing process affects the environment and the safety of workers and consumers.

When designing new products, chemical engineers go through a process of several steps. The
first step is to clearly specify the functional requirements of the product. Second, the chemical
engineer must design and test the product. Finally, the engineer must evaluate the product's
cost, reliability, and safety. This process has created many useful and novel products.

Work Environment

Most chemical engineers work in office buildings, laboratories, or industrial plants. Others
might spend time outdoors at construction sites and at oil and gas exploration and production
sites where they monitor or direct operations or solve onsite problems. Some chemical
engineers travel extensively to plants or worksites both in the United States and abroad.

Many chemical engineers work a standard 40-hour week. At times, deadlines or design
standards may bring extra pressure to a job, requiring engineers to work longer hours.

On the Job

● Perform tests throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables,
including temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure.

● Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in

close proximity to on-going chemical reactions.

● Determine most effective arrangement of operations, such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer,
distillation, and drying.

● Prepare estimates of production costs and production progress reports for management.

● Direct activities of workers who operate or who are engaged in constructing and improving
absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment.

● Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new product and test proposed
process in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant.

● Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical

currents using controlled chemical processes.

● Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.

● Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in
laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.

● Design and plan layout of equipment.

Source: BLS

Companies That Hire Chemical Engineers

● Aerojet Rocketdyne

● Astellas Pharma US

● Chevron

● Intel
● PPG Industries

● Proctor & Gamble

Project Ideas

Explore what you might do on the job with one of these projects...

● A Battery That Makes Cents

● A Silver-Cleaning Battery

● Abracadabra! Transforming Yogurt into 'Ravioli'

● Adsorption: Dyeing Fabrics with Kool-Aid

● Are Enzymes in Laundry Detergents Effective Stain Removers?

● Are You Gellin'? ®

● Bath Bomb Science

● Biodegradable Plastics

● Biodiesels: Converting Oil into Clean Fuel

● Bouncy Polymer Chemistry

● Bubble-ology

● Cabbage Chemistry

● Can You Change the Rate of a Chemical Reaction by Changing the Particle Size of the
Reactants?

● Cosmetic Science: Testing Lip Balm Recipes

● Crazy Crystal Creations: How to Grow the Best and the Largest Crystals

● Drawing Circles Around Ants

● Drug Solubility

● Dye Eggs Using Silk Ties for Egg-cellent Colors

● Exploring Nanotechnology: Fold, Roll, & Stack Your Way to Super-Strong Materials

● From Trash to Gas: Biomass Energy

More

Ask Questions
Do you have a specific question about a career as a Chemical Engineer that isn't answered on
this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Sources

● BLS. (2009). Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2008-09 Edition, Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from http://www.bls.gov/oco/

● O*Net Online. (2009). National Center for O*Net Development. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from
http://www.onetonline.org/

● Engineer Your Life. (n.d.). Shauntel Poulson. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from
http://www.engineeryourlife.org/cms/6205.aspx

● TPT. (2006). Real Scientists. DragonflyTV, Twin Cities Public Television. Retrieved September
29, 2009, from http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/scientists/scientist66.html

Additional Support
We'd like to acknowledge the additional support of:

● Chevron

● MedImmune

● Medtronic

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