Colorado School of Mines Graduate School Insights

Chemical engineering job prospects

A Guide to Chemical Engineering Jobs in 2021

Biological and chemical engineering jobs are ubiquitous in the modern world. From prescriptions to plastics, a chemical engineer has probably had a hand creating your favorite products. If you’re just setting foot into the job market with a degree in chemical engineering, or are thinking about getting a graduate degree in the discipline, you’re going to want to know what your job prospects are like. Well, we’ve got some good news for you: chemical engineering salaries are up, the field is flourishing, and it’s expected to grow in the coming years. Let’s dive into the vat and dissect the chemical and biological engineering job market.

Learn more about Chemical and Biological Engineering programs at Colorado School of Mines »

What is Chemical Engineering?

Mines student in chemical engineering labWe can’t talk about the chemical engineering job market without talking about the field’s history and, most importantly, what it is.

George E. Davis is credited with founding, in the late 19th century, the field of chemical engineering—defined as the manufacture of products through chemical processes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry, mathematics, biology, physics and engineering to solve problems.

Chemical engineers mostly work in offices or labs, though they can spend a substantial amount of time in factories, industrial plants and refineries. They work closely with chemists and other specialists to refine manufacturing processes and create new compounds or materials. We have chemical engineers to thank for plastics, pharmaceuticals and cleaner fossil fuels. They also monitor and direct on-site operations or solve problems, and help design safety procedures.

How to Become a Chemical Engineer

Entry-level chemical engineering jobs all begin with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering  or a related discipline. Graduate degrees are recommended in this field if you want to specialize in a particular area of expertise (more on that below). Graduates of all levels need to have strong backgrounds in chemistry, fluid dynamics and (believe it or not) mechanical engineering.

Internships and other related field experiences are highly recommended to complement the rigorous and challenging courses comprising a chemical engineer’s education. The American Chemical Society consistently posts available positions and internships on their website, and Mines itself works closely with employers to help 94% of its graduates find work in their field within six months after graduation.

What is Biological Engineering?

Where chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry to solve problems, biological engineers study biological processes and integrate them with engineering principles to address technical challenges. And while biological engineering principles use aspects of physics, mathematics and chemistry, they’re mostly focused on mass and heat transfer, biomechanics, separation and purification processes, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics (as they apply to biology) and polymer sciences.

Biological engineering jobs are often in the medical field – creating new medical devices, polymers, applications and techniques to interact with the microscopic and macroscopic world are all part of the job. The field also sees a lot of use in agriculture, renewable engineering and even aerospace.

Advanced Chemical Engineering Degrees

The average enrollment for chemical engineering graduate school rose by 3.6% in 2017, and is expected to continue to climb in the coming years—with good reason. Advanced degrees in the field are particularly sought after in the industry due to the specialized nature of the degree.

Job Prospects for Biological and Chemical Engineering

The BLS again highlighted bright futures for Biological and Chemical Engineering graduate students: 4% growth into 2029 and an expected rise in median salaries. Given society’s increased need for new, sustainable materials and chemical products, the field is expected to see an increase in demand. This comes on top of news that STEM jobs are expected to rise an additional 13% by 2027, further cementing the lasting value of degree in any science, technology, engineering or math-related field.

Chemical Engineering Salaries and Job Titles

Chemical containers in manufacturing plantEven entry-level chemical engineering jobs can command high salaries. The BLS reports that the median salary for chemical engineers in 2019 was $108,770, or $52.30 per hour. Mines graduates with master’s degrees in chemical engineering reported higher than average starting salaries of $97,000, placing them in the top 70% of earners. This trend continues at the undergraduate level, with a normal starting salary of $74,500 (much higher than the national average of $51,000).

All that said, chemical engineers can work under a number of titles. Here are some common chemical engineering jobs and their salaries:

  • Chemical Engineer – $108,770
  • Chemical Engineering Manager – $130,620
  • Materials Scientist – $91,980
  • Biomedical Engineer – $86,950
  • Architectural and Engineering Manager – $144,830
  • Chemical Technician – $49,260
  • Chemists and Materials Scientists – $78,790
  • Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Technicians – $79,480
  • Chemical Plant and System Operators – $54,700
  • Industrial Engineering Technician – $68,194

Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction and happiness depends on a number of factors, but it’s almost universally true that STEM graduates with advanced degrees report the highest levels of job satisfaction (even beating out other non-STEM, advanced degree holders) in the workforce. Engineers in general enjoy a number of unique benefits that contribute toward the field’s overall optimistic outlook. One survey even has 87% of all engineers reporting being “very satisfied” when asked about their career.

Career Mobility

This generally refers to a person’s ability to move up in rank and position within a company. STEM graduates with advanced degrees are usually assigned higher levels within a company, and command a much higher starting salary compared to their counterparts with just bachelor’s degrees.

Flexibility

Engineers are pretty much universally in demand. They build robots, design electric cars, work for NASA, Disney, Google and beyond. In short: an engineer really gets to choose where they ply their lucrative trade. In contrast to doctors, who possess an extremely specialized set of skills, engineers have enough general skills to slot comfortably into positions that aren’t explicitly engineering, but also the ability to get really granular and specialize.

Emphasis on Creativity

Man working with molecular modelsCreativity in the workplace typically leads to higher levels of job satisfaction, one study from the Journal of Positive Psychology found. Increased flexibility in thinking and the application of that thinking led to pretty substantial boosts in enthusiasm and mood, and engineers are among the most creative in the entire STEM field. They occupy a unique niche of high-paying and highly satisfying careers where there’s a specific emphasis on being creative to solve problems, and then applying technical skills to achieve success.

Higher Salaries

As we covered here, even entry-level chemical engineering jobs command high salaries, in the ballpark of $73,000—and it only gets better the more education you have under your belt. At the doctoral level, biological and chemical engineering graduates from Mines earned, on average, $100,000 as their starting salary. Higher salaries in general are associated with increased levels of job satisfaction, among other factors.

Concluding Remarks

Chemical and biological Engineering job prospects are good—like, really good. The pay is great, satisfaction is high and opportunities abound. Though he’s not remembered for being an engineer, physicist Albert Einstein had immense respect for engineers, who apply the properties of physics to practical problems. He once said, “Scientists invent that which already is; engineers create that which has never been.” If the idea of applying math, science, chemistry and physics to practical problems to “create that which has never been” appeals to you, you’re already on your way to becoming a fantastic chemical engineer.

Learn More

Contact us to receive more information about graduate programs at Colorado School of Mines.

Loading...

Mines chemical engineering researchers in lab

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Pursue opportunities in diverse fields, including renewable energy, medicine, materials science and more

Chemistry materials

Chemistry

Graduates with an an advanced degree in this central science are equipped to solve real-world challenges

Students taking water samples from creek

Geochemistry

This interdisciplinary program provides students with a deeper understanding of the processes beneath the Earth's surface

River, trees and mountains

Environmental Engineering Science

A flexible program allows students to tailor their curriculum to best fit their career goals

Related Articles