Chemical Engineering Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Chemical Engineering major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Engineering, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Engineering, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$103,581

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$162,818

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$217,543

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 2.9%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$4,096,521

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Architectural and Engineering Managers
SOC: 11-9041
Occupation: Architectural and Engineering Managers
$167,740
210,340
N/A
N/A
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
SOC: 17-2031
Occupation: Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
$106,950
21,860
N/A
N/A
Chemical Engineers
SOC: 17-2041
Occupation: Chemical Engineers
$121,860
20,330
N/A
N/A
Engineers, All Other
SOC: 17-2199
Occupation: Engineers, All Other
$117,750
150,750
N/A
N/A
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC: 25-1032
Occupation: Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
$106,120
39,910
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Chemical Engineers

12.3%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$121,86020,330
2023$112,10021,140
2022$106,26020,380
2021$105,55024,180
2020$108,54025,770

Colleges offering Chemical Engineering

Johns Hopkins University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$23k

Earnings

$96k

Illinois Institute of Technology

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$26k

Earnings

$76k

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$15k

Earnings

$69k

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$45k

Earnings

$89k

Yale University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$27k

Earnings

$86k