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Career Details

17-2041.00 - Chemical Engineers


Design chemical plant equipment and devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products, such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, detergents, cement, paper, and pulp, by applying principles and technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
34,300
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
34,900
Estimate
Change in Employment
600.0
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+1.8%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
  • Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.
  • Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
  • Direct activities of workers who operate or are engaged in constructing and improving absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment.
  • Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and test proposed processes in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant.
  • Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.
  • Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.
  • Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.
  • Design and plan layout of equipment.
  • Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
  • Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
  • Perform tests and monitor performance of processes throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables such as temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure.
  • Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Engineering and Technology
  • 100%
    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
 Chemistry
  • 95%
    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
 Mathematics
  • 95%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Physics
  • 87%
    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
 Production and Processing
  • 85%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Design
  • 85%
    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
 English Language
  • 78%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 76%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 65%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Mechanical
  • 63%
    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
 Economics and Accounting
  • 55%
    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 Law and Government
  • 55%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Administration and Management
  • 53%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Building and Construction
  • 51%
    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
 Biology
  • 51%
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 Education and Training
  • 50%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Laboratory mixing and stirring and shaking equipment and supplies
  • Agitators
  • Benchtop mixers
  • Powder mixing equipment
 Gas analyzers and monitors
  • Catalytic reactors
  • Gas absorbers
 Laboratory decanting and distilling and evaporating and extracting equipment and supplies
  • Distillation columns
  • Distillation systems
  • Laboratory evaporaters
 Spectroscopic equipment
  • Mass spectrometers
  • Surface analysis spectroscopes
 Computers
  • Personal computers
  • Personal digital assistants PDA
 Water treatment and supply equipment
  • Plate filter presses
  • Sludge dryers
 Integrated circuits
  • Programmable logic controllers PLC
 Pumps
  • Vacuum pumps
 Separators
  • Wet scrubbers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Industry specific software
  • Absorption process simulation software
  • Applied Flow Technology AFT Arrow
  • Applied Flow Technology AFT Fathom
  • AspenTech aspenONE for Chemicals
  • Autodesk AutoCADHOT
  • CAD/CAMHOT
  • CD-adapco STAR-CADHOT
  • Cerebro CerebroMix
  • ChemicaLogic SteamTab
  • Chempute Software Engineer's Aide SINET
  • Chempute Software SuperPro Designer
  • Chempute Software VisiMix
  • Chemstations CHEMCAD
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD softwareHOT
  • Control Station ENGINEER
  • Dassault Systemes CATIAHOT
  • Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKSHOT
  • EPCON International CHEMPRO Engineering Suite
  • EPCON International SiNET
  • EPCON International SYSTEM 7 Process Explorer
  • G&P Engineering Software EngVert
  • G&P Engineering Software PipeDrop
  • GE Fanuc Proficy Machine Edition
  • Laboratory information management system LIMS
  • Madison Technical Software Chempak Plus
  • Madison Technical Software Enviropak
  • Madison Technical Software Steampak
  • MinitabHOT
  • Prode PD-Plus
  • PTC Creo ParametricHOT
  • SoftLab PHEdesign
  • Statistical software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA softwareHOT
  • The MathWorks MATLABHOT
  • Thermal Analysis Systems The Energy Analyst
 Development software
  • C
  • C++HOT
  • Microsoft Visual BasicHOT
  • Microsoft Visual C# .NET
  • National Instruments LabVIEWHOT
  • RHOT
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Chempute Software ChemDraw
  • Desktop publishing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft VisioHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Presentation software
  • Spreadsheet software
 Data management and query software
  • Chempute Software E-Notebook
  • Data entry softwareHOT
  • G&P Engineering Software PhysProps
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
  • Relational database software
  • Structured query language SQLHOT
 Information exchange software
  • Microsoft ExchangeHOT
 Business function specific software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • Microsoft ProjectHOT
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Advanced
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Rappahannock Community College
Wytheville Community College