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The differences between chemical engineers and research engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research engineer has an average salary of $96,945, which is higher than the $89,449 average annual salary of a chemical engineer.
The top three skills for a chemical engineer include chemistry, technical support and co-op. The most important skills for a research engineer are python, java, and software development.
| Chemical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,449 | $96,945 |
| Hourly rate | $43.00 | $46.61 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 42,176 | 136,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink. It is their job to assist in designing new chemical processes and make improvements. They implement fresh ideas to improve standard quality and efficiency. They must be good planners and schedulers of project activities to help chemical technicians to achieve their project objectives and provide technical support to maintain safe, stable, and reliable operations.
Research Engineers are responsible for a wide range of duties, including researching and developing new technologies and prototypes, and finding solutions to improve techniques, procedures, and technologies.
Chemical engineers and research engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,449 | $96,945 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $119,000 | Between $67,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sugar Land, TX | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a chemical engineer and a research engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chemical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between chemical engineers' and research engineers' demographics:
| Chemical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 21.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |