Where do chemical engineers work?
[Top of page] An education in chemical engineering can serve as the foundation for a wide variety of careers. Many, but not most, chemical engineering jobs can be found in the chemical process industry, including oil and chemical companies, but other large employers of chemical engineers include organizations involved with food and consumer products, semiconductors, energy and environmental engineering, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. In all of these industries, chemical engineers typically work to design new processes, improve existing processes, reduce manufacturing costs, research and develop new processes and products, and manage corporate assets. Chemical engineering also provides an excellent preparation for a professional or academic career-it’s not uncommon for students to go on to graduate study in medicine, law, or business.
Chemical engineers work in a number of industries, but two of the largest are chemical manufacturing (eg. Dow Chemical, Rohm & Haas, DuPont) and pharma (eg. Pfizer). Of course, their skill sets and knowledge can be very helpful in other fields, such as venture capital and (more generally) finance, any manufacturing concern, or even academia. I would say, however, that what you major in in college is HIGHLY unlikely to be restrictive in your future pursuits (as long as you stay away from cushy things like English or Literature or (to a lesser extent, sociology). Chemical engineering will require a lot of hard science and math, so it would most benefit you in careers that require those skills (which thankfully, are numerous). I would also note that many of the chemical engineering jobs I mentioned earlier will require a masters or even a Ph.D. before you get high in the pay scales ($70k+ and $100k+, about). So the school you’re talking about and the reputation of that program will be imp
