Chemical Engineers
Also called: Chemical Engineer, Development Engineer, Engineer, Process EngineerDesign 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.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 13 rated tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 4.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.4 hires for every 10 job openings in nondurable goods manufacturing, which employs about 36% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.8.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $135,030 | $96,820 to $141,840 | 600 |
| Alaska | $106,080 | $106,080 to $122,100 | not published |
| Arizona | not published | not published | 80 |
| Arkansas | $105,270 | $93,860 to $130,860 | 290 |
| California | not published | not published | 2,190 |
| Colorado | $125,800 | $97,490 to $150,280 | 720 |
| Connecticut | $102,270 | $95,230 to $129,530 | 410 |
| Delaware | $133,670 | $106,000 to $158,670 | 370 |
| Florida | $109,000 | $83,720 to $126,250 | 230 |
| Georgia | $103,880 | $80,180 to $132,980 | 330 |
| Idaho | $106,740 | $97,150 to $168,680 | 140 |
| Illinois | $121,560 | $95,800 to $140,010 | 520 |
| Indiana | $113,160 | $103,600 to $119,030 | 720 |
| Iowa | $117,590 | $92,050 to $124,120 | 40 |
| Kansas | $102,020 | $88,670 to $126,480 | 280 |
| Kentucky | $117,170 | $106,000 to $136,450 | 190 |
| Louisiana | $134,800 | $105,860 to $164,800 | 730 |
| Maryland | $127,190 | $96,210 to $156,750 | 500 |
| Massachusetts | $118,000 | $85,170 to $133,050 | 1,460 |
| Michigan | $103,230 | $82,250 to $125,410 | 670 |
| Minnesota | $107,670 | $76,340 to $134,500 | 210 |
| Mississippi | $106,740 | $95,060 to $130,630 | 150 |
| Missouri | $102,320 | $102,320 to $128,530 | 320 |
| Montana | $127,490 | $99,690 to $158,280 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $98,310 | $76,610 to $131,890 | 130 |
| Nevada | not published | not published | 110 |
| New Hampshire | $73,250 | $60,600 to $115,140 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $126,760 | $95,520 to $157,190 | 440 |
| New Mexico | $158,190 | $110,420 to $189,260 | 160 |
| New York | $129,060 | $89,440 to $145,670 | 540 |
| North Carolina | $117,410 | $95,920 to $141,260 | 380 |
| North Dakota | $115,400 | $84,720 to $134,630 | 80 |
| Ohio | $111,200 | $96,170 to $135,700 | 1,030 |
| Oklahoma | $127,790 | $106,070 to $167,040 | 110 |
| Oregon | $116,950 | $95,300 to $138,140 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $116,970 | $91,520 to $168,060 | 810 |
| Rhode Island | $111,590 | $80,120 to $152,750 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $101,570 | $79,160 to $127,900 | 390 |
| Tennessee | not published | not published | 480 |
| Texas | $132,750 | $106,910 to $167,750 | 2,610 |
| Utah | $85,520 | $81,840 to $104,240 | not published |
| Virginia | $136,380 | $100,680 to $156,080 | 790 |
| Washington | $128,290 | $104,300 to $164,630 | 650 |
| West Virginia | $129,210 | $101,600 to $165,770 | 160 |
| Wisconsin | $97,660 | $74,700 to $119,500 | 110 |
Nationally: $125,040. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 8 of its 13 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes. | Not published |
| Not much | Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design and plan layout of equipment. | Not published |
| AI alone | Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| AI + software | Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform tests and monitor performance of processes throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables such as temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure. | Not published |
| Not rated | Develop computer models of chemical processes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and test proposed processes in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct activities of workers who operate or are engaged in constructing and improving absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 14 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 14 tasks fall under 14 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #15 Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies
- #27 Research technology designs or applications
- #37 Determine operational methods or procedures
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Design industrial systems or equipment | |||
| Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Diagnose system or equipment problems | |||
| Develop operational or technical procedures or standards | |||
| Design computer or information systems or applications |
Show all 14 activities
| Research organizational behavior, processes, or performance | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report39%
- A chart or visualization16%
- An explanation or answer14%
- Advice or a recommendation8%
- Data or a spreadsheet8%
How they worked with Claude
71% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for chemical engineers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 35,083 moves out
- 1 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 13%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
- 3 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 8%
- 4 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 5%
- 5 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 38,411 moves in
- 1 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 10%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 3 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 6%
- 4 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 4%
- 5 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 91% bachelor's
- 4% post-bachelor's certificate
- 4% post-master's certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 4% high school
- 3% some college
- 3% associate's
- 62% bachelor's
- 21% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 5% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 890 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
8 programs, such as Ceramic Sciences and Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
See all
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Chemical Engineering, Other
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering
- Paper Science and Engineering
- Biochemical Engineering
- Engineering Chemistry
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/17-2041.00