---

Chemical Process Technology

Types of Degrees Chemical Process Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Chemical Process Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	10
Associate’s Degree	33
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	30

What Chemical Process Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Chemical Process Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Chemical Process Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Chemical Process Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Production and Processing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Chemical Process Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operation and Control — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Chemical Process Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.9 / 7
Working with Computers	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Chemical Process Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—
Operational databases	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Chemical Process Technology graduates include:

• Process Operator
• Chemical Process Operator
• Chemical Plant Operator
• Chemical Operator
• Ammonia Still Operator
• Pharmaceutical Worker
• Chlorine Operator
• Acid Regenerator
• Sublimer
• Impregnator Operator
• Plant Worker
• Glycerine Plant Operator
• Chlorinator
• Chlorinator Operator
• Acid Recovery Operator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	46.3%
Bachelor’s degree	23.0%
Some college courses	13.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.5%
Postsecondary certificate	7.3%
Less than a high school diploma	1.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%
Master’s degree	0.1%
Doctoral degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Chemical Process Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 64.9% of Chemical Process Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	26	35.1%
Men	48	64.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	35	47.3%
Asian	2	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	16	21.6%
Black or African American	10	13.5%
Race Unknown	10	13.5%
International Students	1	1.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Chemical Process Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Chemical Process Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$54,327
4 years	$82,599
5 years	$92,712

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $92,712 — roughly 71% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Chemical Process Technology Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Chemical Process Technology. 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	1	0

^{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 Chemical Process Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Chemical Process Technology graduates earn a median of $82,599 four years after completion — roughly 117% 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
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians	41.03
Chemical Technology/Technician	41.0301
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians, Other	41.0399
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other	41.9999
Science Technologies/Technicians	41.0000

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.