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Chemical Engineer

Chemical Engineer profiles score highest on Operating and Exploring. This page covers what the work involves, what the trait profile looks like, what it pays, and where the fit tends to break.

Score your fit for this role See the trait profile

Median pay: $125,040per year, U.S. BLS 2025
Entry education: Bachelor's degreetypical for the occupation

SOURCE · O*NET 17-2041.00 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures are national and vary widely by state and setting.

What the work involves

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.

Skills rated most important

Critical Thinking78

Science78

Complex Problem Solving75

Reading Comprehension75

Active Learning72

Work context

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams96

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled95

Spend Time Sitting75

Contact With Others74

Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled49

Spend Time Standing26

Spend Time Walking or Running25

Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles16

Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body14

Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling13

Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance9

O*NET importance and frequency ratings, 0–100.

The trait profile

Where Chemical Engineer profiles sit on the eleven Haliscope traits, derived from O*NET’s published interest and work-style data.

Operating86

Exploring79

Analyzing78

Safety-Seeking65

Organizing59

Persevering57

Law-Abiding46

Harmonizing22

Influencing15

Creating14

Helping2

Who it fits, and who it doesn’t

Strong signals

High Organizing. Measures your preference for structure, detail, and systematic processes. High scorers excel at creating order, optimizing workflows, and maintaining precision.
High Analyzing. Measures your drive to understand systems and solve problems. High scorers are knowledge-seeking, strategic thinkers who enjoy investigating and finding solutions.
High Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.

Friction points

Low Organizing. Measures your preference for structure, detail, and systematic processes. High scorers excel at creating order, optimizing workflows, and maintaining precision.
Low Analyzing. Measures your drive to understand systems and solve problems. High scorers are knowledge-seeking, strategic thinkers who enjoy investigating and finding solutions.
Low Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.

These are what the occupation’s profile says, not a hiring criterion. Haliscope is not validated for hiring or screening, and none of these is disqualifying — they are where a fit most often breaks.

Getting in

Entry education: Bachelor's degree.

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

O*NET Job Zone descriptions, U.S. Department of Labor.

Exposure to AI

How much of this work AI can already do, and how much AI tools help the people doing it, is scored task by task in the AI Risk Index.

Will AI replace Chemical Engineer?

Is this profile yours?

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