Chemical Engineering degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in chemical engineering earn a median $96,804 four years after finishing, across 158 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in chemical engineering earn $96,449, $34,400 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is chemical engineers (14%).
Median across 158 colleges; middle half $91,643–$102,119.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $71,068–$121,830. 2,944 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Chemical Engineering"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$60,811/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs chemical engineering graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in chemical engineering actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineers | 14% | $125,040 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Other Engineers | 9% | — | — | — | — |
| Industrial Engineers, Including Health And Safety | 8% | $102,670 | +12.0% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Software Developers | 4% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Civil Engineers | 3% | $100,840 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Management Analysts | 3% | $101,860 | +10.1% | Bachelor's degree | CIE |
| Project Management Specialists | 2% | $102,320 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Chemical Engineering earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $97,400 (4) | — |
| California | $101,648 (10) | $97,761 (311) |
| Colorado | $95,780 (3) | $83,789 (125) |
| Connecticut | $87,267 (6) | — |
| Florida | $96,850 (4) | — |
| Illinois | $95,862 (4) | $98,313 (123) |
| Indiana | $101,428 (4) | — |
| Louisiana | $102,119 (3) | — |
| Maryland | $94,671 (3) | — |
| Massachusetts | $100,199 (5) | $103,871 (139) |
| Michigan | $98,350 (6) | $89,375 (107) |
| Missouri | $95,989 (3) | — |
| New Jersey | $98,076 (4) | $99,494 (106) |
| New Mexico | $90,091 (3) | — |
| New York | $94,128 (12) | $95,459 (152) |
| Ohio | $89,150 (15) | $89,205 (165) |
| Oklahoma | $98,557 (3) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $101,720 (11) | $93,403 (130) |
| Tennessee | $92,077 (4) | — |
| Texas | $105,601 (8) | $109,982 (357) |
| Virginia | $105,724 (3) | — |
| Wisconsin | $100,375 (3) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where chemical engineering graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 6 in Florida, 4 in Virginia, 14 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $121,027 | $18,155 |
| 2 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA | $113,317 | $14,937 |
| 3 | University of FloridaFL | $109,607 | $20,050 |
| 4 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $108,066 | $18,205 |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $106,011 | $25,350 |
| 6 | University of VirginiaVA | $105,724 | $17,733 |
| 7 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCA | $102,849 | $21,812 |
| 8 | University of California-DavisCA | $102,649 | $16,000 |
| 9 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $100,646 | $13,000 |
| 10 | Florida Institute of TechnologyFL | $99,312 | $27,000 |
| 11 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVA | $97,781 | $27,000 |
| 12 | University of California-IrvineCA | $97,656 | $18,500 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Chemical Engineering degree questions
How much do Chemical Engineering graduates make?
Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median $96,804 four years after finishing, across 158 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $91,643 to $102,119; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in chemical engineering, the median is $96,449 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Chemical Engineering degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in chemical engineering earn a median $96,449: $34,400 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $60,811 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Chemical Engineering graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in chemical engineering, the most common jobs are chemical engineers (14%), other engineers (9%), industrial engineers, including health and safety (8%). Chemical Engineers earn a U.S. median $125,040.
How much do Chemical Engineering graduates earn in Florida?
Across 4 Florida colleges reporting, Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median $96,850 four years after graduating.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Chemical Engineering degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/chemical-engineering.