Chemical Engineering
Engineering
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,246 | $92,099 to $102,204 | 150 | 100% |
| Master's Degree | $114,036 | $109,398 to $118,178 | 12 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +6% (2025 to 2035), about 29,900 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | 14,900 |
| Engineers, All Other | $122,930 | +3.7% | 8,800 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | 3,900 |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $109,370 | +7.6% | 1,200 |
| Chemical Engineers | $125,040 | +4.7% | 1,100 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a chemical engineering program, of 191 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Texas A&M University-College Station
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
- Purdue University-Main Campus
- University of California-Berkeley
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Colorado School of Mines
- Ohio State University-Main Campus
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.