Vocational Index

Career

Chemical engineers

Turn chemistry into products, fuels and materials at scale.

$125,040
Median pay
+4.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,100
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • 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.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+2.6%2025–35 edition+4.7%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 1,100 → 1,100 openings a year.

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

Objects & tools
6.3
Ideas & analysis
5.8
Information & systems
4.5
Persuasion & leadership
1.9
Creation & expression
1.8
People & care
1.0

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then ideas & analysis?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Critical Thinking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $125,040 a year and 1,100 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • Chemical EngineeringSee the degree →
  • Ceramic Sciences and EngineeringCIP 14.0601
  • Chemical EngineeringCIP 14.0701
  • Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringCIP 14.0702
  • Chemical Engineering, OtherCIP 14.0799
  • Polymer/Plastics EngineeringCIP 14.3201

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

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Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.