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The differences between chemical engineers and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Chemical Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,449 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $43.00 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 42,176 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Chemical engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemical Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,449 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $119,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sugar Land, TX | San Bruno, 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 software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chemical Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between chemical engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Chemical Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |