Chemical engineer
Chemical engineers develop ways to turn raw materials into everyday products.
- Starter salary£34,000 a year
- Experienced£65,000 a year
- Typical hours39 to 41 a week
What you'll do
As a chemical engineer in research and development, you could;
- test new ways to develop products in the lab, like biofuels
- use computer modelling to investigate cost-effective and environmentally friendly production methods
- plan how to turn lab research into pilot production, then large-scale processing
- develop methods to deal safely with by-products and waste materials
In manufacturing, you could:
- work with plant designers to create production equipment and instruments
- oversee the day-to-day operation of the processing plant
- monitor production and deal with problems
- work closely with quality control and health and safety managers
Working environment
You could work in a laboratory, at a manufacturing plant or in an office.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- knowledge of chemistry including the safe use and disposal of chemicals
- maths knowledge
- complex problem-solving skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
- excellent verbal communication skills
- knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a chemical engineer
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
You can do a degree or postgraduate qualification accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) .
Subjects include:
- chemical engineering
- process engineering
- biochemical engineering
You may be able to do a postgraduate conversion course if you have a degree in a related area like engineering, chemistry or polymer science.
Many courses include work placements which can give you valuable experience of working in the industry.
Some universities offer a foundation year for people without qualifications in maths and science, which allows them to move onto the degree course afterwards.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
- 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including chemistry
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Science Industry Process Engineer Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
This takes around 5 years to complete and combines learning on the job and time spent with a training provider.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
Work
You could join a company as a chemical engineering technician and do training on the job to qualify as an engineer.
Career path and progression
Chemical engineers can be found working in many different sectors, including:
- pharmaceuticals
- energy production
- food and drink manufacturing
- environmental engineering
With experience, you could become a senior process or design engineer, or research and development manager.
You might go on to be a plant manager or overall operations manager.
You could also work towards chartered engineer status , which gives professional recognition of your skills and expertise in the industry.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join IChemE for professional development opportunities.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleChemical engineering technician
- Job roleChemist
- Job roleRenewable energy engineer
- Job roleResearch scientist
- Job roleNuclear engineer
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0