Chemical Engineering
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Types of Degrees Chemical Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many chemical engineering graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 10,172 |
Master’s Degree | 1,558 |
Doctor’s Degree | 1,087 |
Associate Degree | 52 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 27 |
Graduate Certificate | 17 |
Basic Certificate | 4 |
What Chemical Engineering Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to chem eng were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Chem Eng Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Skills for Chem Eng Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to chem eng:
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for Chem Eng Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a chem eng student include the following:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Chemical Engineering Major?
People with a chem eng degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Biochemical Engineers | 6.4% | $96,980 |
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Chemical Engineers | 7.3% | $104,910 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Nanosystems Engineers | 6.4% | $96,980 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of chem eng majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 1,258 |
Black or African American | 434 |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,175 |
White | 5,680 |
International Students | 980 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 645 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Chem Eng. About 9.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- India
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Kuwait
How Much Do Chemical Engineering Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that chemical engineering students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $66,101 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $60,469 (25th percentile) and $70,534 (75th percentile).
We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to chem eng so take that into consideration.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $99,410 to $114,470 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to chem eng. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Chemical Engineering
Some careers associated with chem eng require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for chem eng careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 0.3% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.6% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.6% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 47.8% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 3.3% |
Master’s Degree | 23.3% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 2.9% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 1.2% |
Doctoral Degree | 14.7% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 3.2% |
Online Chemical Engineering Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 209 schools offered some type of chemical engineering program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 25 | 1 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 12 | 2 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 148 | 4 |
Post-Master’s | 4 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 119 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Chemical Engineering Worth It?
The median salary for a chem eng grad is $113,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 185% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,475,600 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Chemical Engineering
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Majors Related to Chemical Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to chem eng.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Mikulova under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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