What is the salary and career path for a chemical engineer?
Chemical engineer is an exact match to Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041), the BLS code for engineers who design chemical and biochemical processes and production plants; the OEWS May 2025 median is $125,040 a year ($60.12 an hour), from $79,420 at the 10th percentile to $182,880 at the 90th. BLS projects 2.6% employment growth for the code over 2024–2034 — slower than average — with roughly 1,100 openings a year. It requires an ABET-accredited chemical engineering degree, and the NCEES FE then PE (Chemical) license for engineers who stamp designs.
- Chemical Engineers earn a national median $125,040/yr ($60.12/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2041); the top 10% clear $182,880.
- Chemical engineering is a degree profession: an ABET degree, the NCEES FE, and the PE (Chemical) where stamping authority is needed.
- BLS projects 2.6% growth for Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041) through 2034 — slower than average — with roughly 1,100 openings a year.
- Pay runs from an entry EIT near $79,420 to a principal engineer or engineering manager at the $182,880 top decile.
Career Path
How do you become a chemical engineer?
Entry chemical / process engineer (EIT)
Running mass and energy balances, flowsheet models and plant trials under senior engineers after the FE; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $79,420.
Chemical Engineer
Owning unit or process design, scale-up and optimization around the $125,040 national median for SOC 17-2041.
Senior / lead process engineer
Leading process design packages, plant projects and safety cases pays toward the 75th percentile of $157,190.
Principal / engineering manager
Directing a process-engineering group or plant technical function reaches the 90th percentile of $182,880.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays chemical engineers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2041. National median: $125,040. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does chemical engineer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles chemical engineers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: chemical engineers rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +2.6% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly chemical engineers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2041 (chemical engineers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do chemical engineers need?
The baseline credential and, in most states, a prerequisite for engineering licensure. See all state licences →
Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, the required first step toward the PE.
The NCEES Professional Engineer (Chemical) license required to stamp chemical-process designs.
OSHA PSM knowledge and Six Sigma or CCPS process-safety training that deepen a process engineer's standing.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do chemical engineers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 17-2041
Salary Levers
How do chemical engineers earn above the $125,040 BLS median?
Industry and specialization
Refining, pharma, semiconductors or advanced-materials depth moves pay from the $79,420 entry band toward the median and above.
PE license and process-safety ownership
The PE (Chemical) plus PSM and safety-case leadership push earnings above the $125,040 median.
Technical leadership
Lead process engineer, principal and management tracks push earnings toward the $182,880 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a chemical engineer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2041. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Chemical Engineer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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