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.

Most important skills

Science
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Complex Problem Solving
Active Learning
Judgment and Decision Making
Systems Analysis
Systems Evaluation

Key knowledge

Engineering and Technology
Chemistry
Mathematics
Design
Physics
Production and Processing
English Language
Computers and Electronics

What the work involves

Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.
Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
Direct activities of workers who operate or are engaged in constructing and improving absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment.
Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and test proposed processes in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant.
Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.
Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.
Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (91.3% of respondents)
Related experience: None (30.4%)
On-the-job training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (26.1%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Chemical Engineers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Low	Lower on contact with others than 77% of occupations compared	57% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Very low	Lower on dealing with the public than 83% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important”
Teamwork	Moderate	Higher on teamwork than 56% of occupations compared	57% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 59% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Low	Lower on time pressure than 72% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Low	Lower on conflict situations than 73% of occupations compared	61% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 91% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Very high	Higher on consequence of error than 88% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: low
Conflict situations: low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: very high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions