Some possible jobs within this career area are:
Depending on your salary goals, you might need to continue your education throughout your engineering career. Commonly offered degree programs include:
- Associate’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Master’s Degree
- PhD
Careers in the engineering field are changing along with the world economy. The growth of computers and microprocessors is making software engineers and computer engineers in high demand. However, many of these jobs are growing in countries like China and India. To be successful, you might need to pursue a graduate degree to increase your earning potential and make yourself a more marketable employee. Beyond the global job market, engineers are always in demand. Infrastructure projects designed to boost the economy also boost the job market for civil engineers. Companies need engineers for their research and development projects, and some of the world’s most renowned software and computer companies rely on the creativity of their engineers to remain relevant in today’s fast-paced world.
Most Bachelor’s Degrees for engineering take four years, and some engineers go to college for six years to earn combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. A select number of engineers return to school to get their PhD, while other engineers enter the workforce with a two-year Associate’s Degree.
How to Become a Chemical Engineer
A chemical engineer designs equipment and processes used for the manufacture of chemicals. Many other industries such as energy producers and biotechnology research facilities also employ chemical engineers; some students choose to focus their chemical engineer career in a special field such as nanomaterials.
An Education in Chemistry
The Department of Labor states that nearly three-quarters of all chemical engineers have earned a four-year bachelor degree, with 24 percent attaining a master’s and another four percent holding doctorates. Most engineering programs are four years long, with the first two years consisting of basic classes and the last two years focusing on chemistry, engineering, and an optional specialty area within the chemical engineering career venue. Often there is an optional fifth year in which you may work as an intern while finishing your coursework.
During the first two years of college you will take core classes with a strong emphasis on mathematics and science. Although each college will be different, you can expect to take algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus as well as biology, chemistry, physics, English, and social science courses. Often there will be general engineering classes available as well.
The second two years of school you will learn what it takes to become a chemical engineer. You will study advanced chemistry and engineering as well as thermodynamics, chemical reactions, experimental design, and data analysis. During the last year you might choose to specialize is a specific chemical engineering career field such as biological applications or environmental safety.
Salaries for Chemical Engineers
Those entering a chemical engineer career some of enjoy the highest beginning salaries of all college graduates. According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers the average starting chemical engineer salary in 2009 averaged $64,902; the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median salary in 2008 was $84,680. The highest paid ten percent of chemical engineer salaries was over $130,200. (Salary data retrieved 6/27/11)
To get the college education you need to become a successful chemical engineer, find a degree program now.