All About Chemical Engineers
Chemical Engineer Example 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.
Daily Life Of a Chemical Engineer
- Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
- Direct activities of workers who operate or are engaged in constructing and improving absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment.
- Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
- Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.
- Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.
- Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.
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Things a Chemical Engineer Should Know How to Do
When polled, Chemical Engineers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Related Job Titles
- Polymerization Supervisor
- Research Chemical Engineer
- Poly Area Supervisor
- Process Design Chemical Engineer
- Gas Combustion Engineer
Is There Job Demand for Chemical Engineers?
In the United States, there were 32,700 jobs for Chemical Engineer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 2,400 new jobs for Chemical Engineer by 2026. There will be an estimated 2,400 positions for Chemical Engineer per year.
The states with the most job growth for Chemical Engineer are North Dakota, Utah, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, West Virginia, or District of Columbia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Chemical Engineers Salary
The typical yearly salary for Chemical Engineers is somewhere between $64,890 and $169,770.
Chemical Engineers who work in Texas, District of Columbia, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Chemical Engineers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $112,780 |
Alaska | $134,440 |
Arizona | $99,580 |
Arkansas | $87,880 |
California | $103,590 |
Colorado | $100,670 |
Connecticut | $89,660 |
Delaware | $120,280 |
District of Columbia | $117,470 |
Florida | $96,120 |
Georgia | $91,530 |
Idaho | $114,140 |
Illinois | $94,830 |
Indiana | $99,010 |
Iowa | $107,490 |
Kansas | $98,090 |
Kentucky | $101,180 |
Louisiana | $111,090 |
Maryland | $113,670 |
Massachusetts | $109,950 |
Michigan | $102,780 |
Minnesota | $98,910 |
Mississippi | $109,940 |
Missouri | $105,990 |
Montana | $87,350 |
Nebraska | $90,600 |
New Hampshire | $79,110 |
New Jersey | $122,210 |
New Mexico | $110,020 |
New York | $100,380 |
North Carolina | $99,810 |
Ohio | $96,080 |
Oklahoma | $107,290 |
Oregon | $98,810 |
Pennsylvania | $97,390 |
Rhode Island | $90,180 |
South Carolina | $87,880 |
Tennessee | $106,830 |
Texas | $147,720 |
Utah | $95,000 |
Virginia | $111,440 |
Washington | $103,620 |
West Virginia | $97,430 |
Wisconsin | $92,310 |
Wyoming | $105,490 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Chemical Engineers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Chemical Engineers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Visio
- Structured query language SQL
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- R
- Minitab
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- C
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
Becoming a Chemical Engineer
Learn what Chemical Engineer education requirements there are.
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Chemical Engineers Are Employed
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Chemical Engineer may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Chemical Engineer in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Mikulova via Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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