What do Chemical Engineers earn?
Chemical engineering graduates in the UK or Ireland can expect to earn an average starting salary of £26,000 – ranking third only to Medicine and Dentistry. The 2008 IChemE Salary Survey (http://www.tcetoday.com/salarycalculator/) suggests graduates are most likely to begin their career in the oil sector, where average starting salaries are £31,000. It doesn’t take long for the salaries to grow in UK chemical engineering. The average wage for chemical engineers aged 25–29 is £33,700, rising to £47,500 for those in their 30s. Chemical engineers in their 40s will earn on average £60,500 and £68,000 in their 50s. For those aged 60–65, who have typically risen to very senior positions, the average salary is £70,500. And for those engineers eagerly anticipating the joys of retirement, perhaps it’s time to think again. The few who choose to work past 65 in the UK and Ireland earn an average salary of £100,000.
