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General Chemical Engineering

Types of Degrees General Chemical Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Chemical Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	8
Associate’s Degree	43
Bachelor’s Degree	7,901
Master’s Degree	1,588
Doctor’s Degree	1,084

What General Chemical Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Chemical Engineering build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Chemical Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in General Chemical Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a General Chemical Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to General Chemical Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Chemical Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Chemical Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Chemical Engineering graduates include:

• Television Engineering Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Teacher
• Hydraulics Teacher
• Applied Mechanics Teacher
• Metallography Teacher
• Petroleum Engineering Teacher
• Circuits and Robotics Instructor
• Civil Engineering Professor
• Engineering Instructor
• Environmental Engineering Professor
• Metallurgy Teacher
• Plastics Engineering Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Chemical Engineering Professor
• Radar Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Chemical Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	36.7%
Bachelor’s degree	24.3%
Post-master’s certificate	12.2%
Master’s degree	11.0%
Post-doctoral training	11.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
Postsecondary certificate	0.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Chemical Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 40% women and 60% men among General Chemical Engineering graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,246	40.0%
Men	6,378	60.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Chemical Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,367	50.5%
Asian	1,291	12.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,123	10.6%
Black or African American	372	3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.0%
Two or More Races	410	3.9%
Race Unknown	223	2.1%
International Students	1,824	17.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Chemical Engineering Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of General Chemical Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$74,187
4 years	$87,755
5 years	$99,039

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $99,039 — roughly 33% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online General Chemical Engineering Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for General Chemical Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	4	14

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in General Chemical Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $87,755 four years after completion — roughly 131% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering	14.0702
Chemical Engineering, Other	14.0799
Biochemical Engineering	14.4301
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.0601
Engineering Chemistry	14.4401
Paper Science and Engineering	14.4001
Polymer/Plastics Engineering	14.3201
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General	14.0201
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other	14.0299
Agricultural Engineering	14.0301
Architectural Engineering	14.0401

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.