2027 Salary Guide · Chemical and process engineering
Chemical engineering is one of the smaller engineering occupations, about 21,900 jobs, and one of the better paid: the BLS median was $125,040 in May 2025, roughly $133,000 for 2027. The surprise is in the employer data. Chemical manufacturers employ the most chemical engineers but paid a $112,300 median, below engineering services firms and federal agencies.
By employer
BLS reports the share of chemical engineers each industry employs and the median pay there. The largest employer pays the least of the four.
| Employer type | Share of chemical engineers | Median pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Federal government | 4% | $133,050 |
| Engineering services | 11% | $127,090 |
| Research and development (physical, engineering and life sciences) | 9% | $124,540 |
| Chemical manufacturing | 28% | $112,300 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Chemical Engineers (May 2025 wages). Industries BLS does not list separately are not shown, which is why the shares do not add to 100%.
Pay distribution
The 10th percentile was $79,420 and the 90th was $182,880. The middle half, $97,820 to $157,190, covers most process, project and development engineers with a chemical engineering degree.
Typical for the Chemical Engineer title: $97,820 to $157,190 (25th to 75th percentile of Chemical Engineers)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,420 | $84,500 |
| 25th percentile | $97,820 | $104,000 |
| Median | $125,040 | $133,000 |
| 75th percentile | $157,190 | $167,000 |
| 90th percentile | $182,880 | $194,500 |
Career path
BLS does not break out pay by experience. These stages place common career points on the BLS percentiles as a planning guide.
About $79,000 to $98,000 (10th to 25th percentile)
Process support, unit or shift engineer, or lab and pilot-plant roles. BLS says a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering or a related field is the usual entry requirement.
About $98,000 to $157,000 (25th to 75th percentile)
Owns a unit, a process improvement program or a design package. Moving from troubleshooting to designing new processes or equipment is what usually moves an engineer up this band.
About $157,000 to $183,000+ (75th to 90th percentile)
Leads technology development, capital projects or a plant engineering group. Some move into consulting with a PE license.
Local pay
Houston has the most chemical engineers of the 29 metros, about 1,510, and a $138,120 median. Pittsburgh posts the highest median, $152,290, from only about 110 jobs. Boston is the second-largest market (about 910) but pays $109,460, below the national median. BLS does not publish chemical engineer wages for the Bay Area or San Diego.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $152,290 +22% | $89,940 – $174,940 | 110 |
| Houston | $138,120 +10% | $99,890 – $217,260 | 1,510 |
| Los Angeles | $134,210 +7% | $81,030 – $202,690 | 320 |
| Washington, DC | $132,820 +6% | $93,250 – $185,840 | 640 |
| Portland | $131,690 +5% | $92,870 – $169,770 | 70 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $130,520 +4% | $97,080 – $226,120 | 130 |
| Austin | $129,790 +4% | $92,500 – $219,960 | 60 |
| Albany | $129,060 +3% | $82,460 – $174,830 | 40 |
| Baltimore | $128,610 +3% | $63,150 – $195,190 | 180 |
| Denver | $128,110 +2% | $79,600 – $196,180 | 410 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $127,770 +2% | $79,940 – $176,650 | 790 |
| New York City | $126,830 +1% | $81,680 – $170,460 | 510 |
| Seattle | $125,200 +0% | $84,680 – $179,230 | 230 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $122,730 -2% | $66,110 – $269,800 | 170 |
| Charlotte | $115,890 -7% | $83,760 – $177,620 | 110 |
| Buffalo | $112,770 -10% | $84,310 – $156,710 | 70 |
| Miami | $111,980 -10% | $65,540 – $157,840 | 50 |
| Raleigh | $111,210 -11% | $81,020 – $170,910 | 90 |
| Chicago | $110,760 -11% | $78,700 – $179,020 | 370 |
| Tampa | $110,000 -12% | $76,910 – $160,350 | 30 |
| Boston | $109,460 -12% | $67,810 – $176,120 | 910 |
| Providence | $106,950 -14% | $71,550 – $152,750 | 80 |
| Detroit | $104,230 -17% | $64,460 – $151,110 | 220 |
| Atlanta | $103,520 -17% | $66,030 – $164,590 | 230 |
| Hartford | $101,410 -19% | $84,330 – $165,210 | 180 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
Beyond the title
O*NET's reported titles for the occupation include process engineer, refinery process engineer, process control engineer, development engineer and research chemical engineer. They pay differently for reasons the title rarely shows.
BLS says chemical engineers mostly work in offices or labs but may visit plants and refineries to monitor operations. Site-based process roles can carry shift, call-out and safety responsibility that desk-based design roles do not, so compare the duties as well as the title.
O*NET describes the work as designing equipment and processes for products such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, detergents, cement, paper and pulp. Continuous large-scale processes and batch specialty production hire for different skills.
BLS says a license is not needed at entry level. Experienced engineers may get a PE license, which lets them oversee other engineers, sign off on projects and provide services directly to the public, which matters most in consulting.
O*NET lists MATLAB, Minitab, LabVIEW and SQL among the tools used. Engineers who pair process knowledge with control-system or data analysis skills are often the ones hired into process control and optimization roles.
Compare
Process engineers in chemical and pharmaceutical plants are counted in the same BLS occupation, so their figures match. Chemical engineers out-earn environmental engineers by about $17,930 and mechanical engineers by about $20,930 at the median.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineer | $125,040 | $133,000 | Faster than average |
| Process Engineer | $125,040 | $133,000 | Faster than average |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 | $114,000 | Faster than average |
| Biomedical Engineer | $109,370 | $116,500 | Much faster than average |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | $110,500 | Much faster than average |
Outlook
BLS projects faster than average growth (5% to 6%) through 2035, but the occupation is small, so that means only about 1,100 openings a year nationally. BLS ties demand mainly to demand for the products chemical engineers help develop, along with changing regulations that require compliant equipment and processes.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Chemical Engineers as a whole.
FAQ
Chemical engineers earned a median of $125,040 in May 2025, according to BLS, and the middle half earned $97,820 to $157,190. Applying about 3.1% annual wage growth for two years gives a 2027 planning median of roughly $133,000. The top tenth earned more than $182,880.
New chemical engineering graduates are not tracked separately in BLS pay data. The 10th percentile was $79,420 in May 2025 and the 25th percentile was $97,820, a useful range for entry-level offers. BLS says entry roles typically need a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering or a related field, and no license.
BLS hourly data for May 2025 shows a median of $60.12 an hour for chemical engineers, with the 10th percentile at $38.19 and the 90th at $87.92. Hourly rates are most relevant for contract engineers working on plant projects or turnarounds.
Yes: the biggest employer pays the lowest median of the main sectors. Chemical manufacturing employs about 28% of chemical engineers, the largest share, and paid a $112,300 median in May 2025. Of the other industries BLS breaks out, the federal government paid $133,050, engineering services $127,090 and R&D organizations $124,540.
Among the 29 metros here, Pittsburgh had the highest median at $152,290, though with only about 110 jobs. Houston is the biggest market, about 1,510 chemical engineers, with a $138,120 median. Los Angeles and Washington, DC were also above $132,000.
Careerscape engineering recruiters can send a pre-screened shortlist for direct hire, contract or contract-to-hire roles, from plant process engineers to R&D.
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