Activities	Apply the principles of chemistry and engineering to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals; builds a bridge between science and manufacturing.
Outlook	Slower-than-average job growth
Median Income	$90,300 per year in 2010
Work Context & Conditions	Most engineers work in office buildings, laboratories, or industrial plants. Others may spend time outdoors at construction sites, and production sites, where they monitor or direct operations or solve onsite problems. Some engineers travel extensively to plants or worksites.
Minimum Education Requirements	Bachelor's Degree
Skills	Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Writing, Equipment Selection, Troubleshooting, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Technology Design, Science
Abilities	Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Information Ordering
Interviews	Steve Marquis

Job Category		Architecture & Engineering
Job Description		Chemical engineers design equipment and develop processes for large-scale chemical manufacturing, plan and test methods of manufacturing products and treatment of by-products, and supervise production. They work in a variety of manufacturing industries, including healthcare and biotechnology. The knowledge and duties of chemical engineers overlap many fields. Chemical engineers apply principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and mechanical and electrical engineering. They frequently specialize in a particular operation such as oxidation or polymerization. Others specialize in a particular area, such as pollution control or the production of specific products such as fertilizers and pesticides, automotive plastics, or chlorine bleach. They must be aware of all aspects of chemicals manufacturing and how it affects the environment, the safety of workers, and customers. Because chemical engineers use computer technology to optimize all phases of research and production, they need to understand how to apply computer skills to process analysis, automated control systems, and statistical quality control.
Working Conditions		Many engineers work a standard 40-hour week. At times, deadlines or design standards may bring extra pressure to a job. When this happens, engineers may work longer hours and experience considerable stress.
Salary Range		Median annual earnings of chemical engineers were $84,700 in 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $67,400 and $105,000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $53,700, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $130,200. According to a July 2009 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor’s degree candidates in chemical engineering received starting offers averaging $64,900.

Education Required		High school students interested in studying chemical engineering will benefit from taking science courses, such as chemistry, physics, biology. They also should take mathematics, including algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. Entry-level chemical engineering jobs require a bachelor's degree. Programs usually take 4 years to complete and include classroom, laboratory, and field studies. At some universities, a student can opt to enroll in a 5-year program that leads to both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. A graduate degree allows an engineer to work as an instructor at some universities or in research and development. Some colleges and universities offer cooperative programs where students gain practical experience while completing their education. Cooperative programs combine classroom study with practical work, permitting students to gain experience and to finance part of their education. Programs in chemical engineering, which are also called chemical and biomolecular engineering, should be accredited by ABET (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). ABET-accredited include courses in chemistry, physics, and biology. These programs also include applying the sciences to the design, analysis, and control of chemical, physical, and biological processes.
Recommended High School Courses		Computers and Electronics, Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Physics
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training, Mathematics, Design, Physics, Production and Processing, Engineering and Technology, Chemistry, Mechanical
Certification and Licensing		Licensure for chemical engineers is not as common as it is for other engineering occupations, but it is encouraged. Chemical engineers who become licensed carry the designation of professional engineers (PEs). Licensure generally requires the following: A degree from an engineering program accredited by ABET A passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam Relevant work experience A passing score on the Professional Engineering (PE) exam The initial Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam can be taken right after graduation. Engineers who pass this exam commonly are called engineers in training (EITs) or engineer interns (EIs). After they get work experience, EITs can take the second exam, called the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Several states require engineers to take continuing education to keep their license. Most states recognize licensure from other states, if the licensing state’s requirements meet or exceed their own licensure requirements.

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Social Status Looked up to by others in their company and their community. Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Creativity Try out your own ideas. Security Have steady employment. Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Working Conditions Good working conditions. Activity Busy all the time. Autonomy Plan work with little supervision. Responsibility Make decisions on your own.
Skills		Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Writing Communicate effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience. Equipment Selection Determine the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. Troubleshooting Determine what is causing an operating error and deciding what to do about it. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. Judgment and Decision Making Be able to weigh the relative costs and benefits of a potential action. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Speaking Talk to others to effectively convey information. Technology Design Generate or adapt equipment and technology to serve user needs. Science Use scientific methods to solve problems.
Abilities		Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Information Ordering Able to correctly follow rules for arranging things or actions in a certain order, including numbers, words, pictures, procedures, and logical operations.

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Job Outlook		Employment of chemical engineers is expected to grow 6 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. Demand for chemical engineers’ services depends largely on demand for the products of various manufacturing industries. Employment will be sustained by the ability of these engineers to stay on the forefront of new, emerging technologies. Many chemical engineers work in industries that have output sought by many manufacturing firms. Therefore, employment is tied to the state of overall manufacturing in the United States. However, chemical engineering is also migrating into new fields, such as nanotechnology, alternative energies, and biotechnology, which will likely increase demand for engineering services in many manufacturing industries.
More Information		American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Chemical Society
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Chemical Engineers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/chemical-engineers.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/17-2041.00