Occupations/17-2041.00
Chemical Engineers
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.
Usually a four-year bachelor’s degree.
AI automation risk
53%
Mixed exposure
Human characteristics
43%
Balanced human and task mix
Task orientation
31%
More resilient
A day in this job
- Mostly routine
Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- Mostly routine
Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
- Task
Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
The tasks we can read here lean routine. That sits next to the AI risk rank — it is not a forecast that the job disappears.
Core tasks
- 01Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- 02Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
- 03Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
- 04Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
- 05Design and plan layout of equipment.
- 06Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks2.48
- Degree of automation2.35
- Time sitting4.00
- Originality (ability)3.50
- Conflict situations2.48
- Hands-on objects/tools1.91
- Outdoors / weather2.87
- Disease exposure1.00
- Decision freedom4.04
Top abilities
- Written Comprehension4.00
- Problem Sensitivity4.00
- Oral Expression4.00
- Oral Comprehension4.00
- Information Ordering4.00
- Inductive Reasoning4.00
- Deductive Reasoning4.00
- Category Flexibility4.00
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension4.00
- Active Listening3.25
- Writing3.12
- Speaking3.50
- Mathematics3.75
- Science4.12
- Critical Thinking4.12
- Active Learning3.88
- Learning Strategies2.88
- Monitoring3.12
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
12 of 42 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stanford University Stanford, CA · Private nonprofit | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $62,400 | 4% | 96% | 1 yr — 2 yr $91,744 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $13,200 | 63% | 83% | 1 yr $78,777 2 yr $80,669 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $11,700 | 31% | 88% | 1 yr $78,261 2 yr $82,830 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $4,600 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $77,213 2 yr $79,688 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $11,200 | 49% | 89% | 1 yr $75,413 2 yr $73,378 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $68,200 | 12% | 92% | 1 yr $75,204 2 yr $60,546 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $17,700 | 18% | 93% | 1 yr $75,204 2 yr $75,104 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
Houston Community College Houston, TX · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $4,300 | 100% | 24% | 1 yr $74,747 2 yr $55,512 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $10,000 | 53% | 83% | 1 yr $73,792 2 yr $69,897 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $13,800 | 9% | 92% | 1 yr $73,635 2 yr $80,718 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $11,800 | 17% | 91% | 1 yr $73,635 2 yr $74,307 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA · Public | Chemical Engineering 14.0701 | $19,600 | 55% | 86% | 1 yr $72,676 2 yr $73,145 Bachelor's · CIP 14.07 |