Careers > Chemical Engineers

Chemical Engineers

$106.26K Median Salary 1.8K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 9.1% Job Growth

Find Colleges for this Career Find Certificates for this Career

About This Career

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.

Reported Job Titles

Chemical Engineer, Development Engineer, Engineer, Engineering Scientist, Process Control Engineer, Process Engineer, Project Engineer, Refinery Process Engineer, Research Chemical Engineer, Scientist

Career data shown for:

Share with Others

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Written Comprehension

Category Flexibility

Deductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Mathematical Reasoning

Oral Comprehension

Problem Sensitivity

Inductive Reasoning

Fluency of Ideas

Number Facility

Oral Expression

Originality

Near Vision

Flexibility of Closure

Perceptual Speed

Far Vision

Selective Attention

Speech Clarity

Visualization

Written Expression

Speech Recognition

Speed of Closure

Visual Color Discrimination

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology

Chemistry

Mathematics

Physics

Design

Production and Processing

English Language

Computers and Electronics

Public Safety and Security

Mechanical

Skills

Science

Complex Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Judgment and Decision Making

Mathematics

Reading Comprehension

Systems Analysis

Active Learning

Systems Evaluation

Operations Analysis

Speaking

Active Listening

Monitoring

Writing

Operations Monitoring

Coordination

Instructing

Negotiation

Persuasion

Social Perceptiveness

Time Management

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software

Presentation software

Computer aided design CAD software

Data base user interface and query software

Development environment software

Object or component oriented development software

Industrial control software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Financial analysis software

Project management software

Process mapping and design software

Desktop publishing software

Computer aided manufacturing CAM software

Tools

Laboratory mixers

Robotic or automated liquid handling systems

Ultrafiltration equipment

Catalytic combustion analyzers

Chromatographic scanners

Bi distillation units

Distillation pipings or columns or fittings

Chemical absorption gas analyzers

Spectrometers

Laboratory evaporators

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

Goggles

Scanning probe microscopes

Dewatering equipment

Laboratory filtration hardware or accessories

Freezedryers or lyophilzers

Microcontrollers

Processing tanks

Vacuum pumps

Wet scrubbers

Heat exchangers

Benchtop centrifuges

Mass spectrometers

Personal computers

Abilities

Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Skills

Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Financial analysis software: Delphi Technology
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: 1CadCam Unigraphics; Geometric CAMWorks; Siemens NX

Tools

Laboratory mixers: Mixer mills
Robotic or automated liquid handling systems: Liquid handling robots
Ultrafiltration equipment: Ultrafiltration cells
Catalytic combustion analyzers: Reciprocating machinery combustion analyzers
Chromatographic scanners: Chromatographic scanning equipment
Bi distillation units: Water distillation units
Distillation pipings or columns or fittings: Airfree/waterfree solvent purification systems
Chemical absorption gas analyzers: Passive samplers
Spectrometers: Spectroscopes
Laboratory evaporators: Thermal evaporators
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers: Personal digital assistants PDA
Goggles: Safety goggles
Scanning probe microscopes: Atomic force microscopes AFM; Scanning acoustic microscopes; Scanning probe microscopes SPM; Scanning tunneling microscopes STM
Dewatering equipment: Filter press simulators
Laboratory filtration hardware or accessories: Filtration systems
Freezedryers or lyophilzers: Benchtop lyophilizers
Microcontrollers: Programmable logic controllers PLC
Processing tanks: Material hoppers
Vacuum pumps: Automatic vacuum pumps
Wet scrubbers:
Heat exchangers: Heat exchanging units
Benchtop centrifuges:
Mass spectrometers: Dual energy x ray absorptiometers
Personal computers: