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Chemical Engineers
Turns chemistry into products at scale: medicines, fuels, food, plastics.
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Chemical engineers design the processes and plants that make things in large amounts, from medicines and batteries to food, paint and clean water. They work out how to make a reaction safe, efficient and affordable, then run and improve it.
Open the chemical engineer guide
The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.
High school courses that build toward it
- Chemistry · Science
Builds chemistry, which this job uses.
- Engineering Design · Career and Technical
Builds engineering, which this job uses.
- Calculus · Math
Builds math, which this job uses.
- Computer Science Principles · Computer Science
Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.
- English 10 · English
Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.
- Ceramics · Arts
Builds design and technical drawing, which this job uses.
Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.
Chemical Engineers on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.