The median annual wage for chemical engineers was $97,360 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $59,470, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $157,160.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for chemical engineers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing
$110,220
Engineering services
103,600
Resin, synthetic rubber, and artificial synthetic fibers and filaments manufacturing
99,780
Basic chemical manufacturing
98,740
Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
97,100
A 2015 survey report by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers indicated that the median yearly salary of those with no supervisory responsibility was $106,300.
Nearly all chemical engineers work full time. Occasionally, they may have to work additional hours to meet production targets and design standards or to troubleshoot problems with manufacturing processes.
Chemical Engineers
Median annual wages, May 2015
Chemical engineers
$97,360
Engineers
$90,060
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics