Chemical engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Chemical engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates chemical engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our chemical engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about chemical engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 16,138 chemical engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 25.9% of all chemical engineers are women, while 74.1% are men.
- The average chemical engineer age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of chemical engineers is White (60.0%), followed by Asian (21.3%), Hispanic or Latino (9.2%) and Unknown (5.6%).
- Chemical engineers are most in-demand in Des Plaines, IL.
- Sugar Land, TX pays an annual average wage of $114,407, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women chemical engineers earned 100% of what men earned.
- Virginia is the best state for chemical engineers to live.
- Chemical engineers are 51% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Chemical engineer demographics by:
Chemical engineer gender statistics
25.9% of chemical engineers are women and 74.1% of chemical engineers are men.
- Male, 74.1%
- Female, 25.9%
Chemical engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 74.1% |
| Female | 25.9% |
Chemical engineer gender pay gap
Women earn $1.00 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$83,091
Female income
$83,341
Chemical engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in chemical engineer positions over time. Currently, 25.9% of chemical engineers are female.
Chemical engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.89% | 16.11% |
| 2011 | 86.02% | 13.98% |
| 2012 | 85.08% | 14.92% |
| 2013 | 82.36% | 17.64% |
| 2014 | 80.62% | 19.38% |
| 2015 | 78.80% | 21.20% |
| 2016 | 74.53% | 25.47% |
| 2017 | 76.58% | 23.42% |
| 2018 | 77.25% | 22.75% |
| 2019 | 73.51% | 26.49% |
| 2020 | 78.90% | 21.10% |
| 2021 | 74.08% | 25.92% |
Chemical engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared chemical engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Engineer | 11% | 89% |
| Chemical Engineer | 74% | 26% |
| Machine Tool Designer | 99% | 1% |
| Refrigeration Engineer | 99% | 1% |
| Senior Electronics Design Engineer | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Chemical engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among chemical engineers is White, which makes up 60.0% of all chemical engineers. Comparatively, 21.3% of chemical engineers are Asian and 9.2% of chemical engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 60.0%
- Asian, 21.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.2%
- Unknown, 5.6%
- Black or African American, 3.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Chemical engineer race
| Chemical engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.0% |
| Asian | 21.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.2% |
| Unknown | 5.6% |
| Black or African American | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Chemical engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how chemical engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Chemical engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.81% | 3.88% | 17.22% | 6.80% |
| 2011 | 70.73% | 4.39% | 16.33% | 6.60% |
| 2012 | 70.18% | 3.26% | 18.79% | 6.41% |
| 2013 | 68.42% | 4.11% | 18.07% | 7.37% |
| 2014 | 69.30% | 4.05% | 18.57% | 6.76% |
| 2015 | 68.92% | 4.61% | 18.91% | 5.84% |
| 2016 | 69.94% | 4.10% | 18.44% | 6.53% |
| 2017 | 68.73% | 3.76% | 19.71% | 5.48% |
| 2018 | 69.81% | 3.03% | 18.25% | 7.32% |
| 2019 | 65.89% | 3.66% | 18.79% | 8.79% |
| 2020 | 67.19% | 3.82% | 17.40% | 8.30% |
| 2021 | 59.97% | 3.55% | 21.31% | 9.19% |
Chemical engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino chemical engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american chemical engineers have the lowest average salary at $76,994.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $82,821 |
| White | $85,187 |
| Black or African American | $76,994 |
| Asian | $85,126 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $85,654 |
Average chemical engineer age
See how the average age of chemical engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Chemical engineer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 34 | 30.5 |
| White | 40 | 34 |
| Black or African American | 51 | |
| Asian | 41 | 37 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 | 29 |
Chemical engineer age breakdown
The average age of chemical engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the chemical engineer population.
Chemical engineer age breakdown
| Chemical Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 21% |
Chemical engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for chemical engineers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of chemical engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 3%.
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Chemical engineers by degree level
| Chemical engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 78% |
| Master's | 13% |
| Associate | 3% |
| Doctorate | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Chemical engineer jobs you might like
Chemical engineer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,869 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $87,980 |
Chemical engineer employment statistics
Most chemical engineers work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where chemical engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where chemical engineers work.
Chemical engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 2% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 12% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 32% |
| > 10,000 employees | 32% |
Chemical engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the chemical engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most chemical engineers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Chemical engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 41% |
| Private | 51% |
| Government | 3% |
Chemical engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for chemical engineers are manufacturing, technology and energy.
Chemical engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 20% |
| Fortune 500 | 16% |
| Technology | 12% |
| Energy | 10% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Pharmaceutical | 5% |
| Education | 5% |
| Construction | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
Chemical engineer turnover and employment statistics
Chemical engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for chemical engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Chemical engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Chemical engineer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.79% |
| 2011 | 3.90% |
| 2012 | 1.98% |
| 2013 | 1.86% |
| 2014 | 1.78% |
| 2015 | 3.32% |
| 2016 | 2.13% |
| 2017 | 2.06% |
| 2018 | 1.94% |
| 2019 | 1.57% |
| 2020 | 3.40% |
| 2021 | 2.49% |
Average chemical engineer tenure
The average chemical engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,708 chemical engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Chemical engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Chemical engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of chemical engineers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Planner | 3.67% | 74,212 |
| Nuclear Design Engineer | 5.25% | 43,328 |
| Chief Electrical Engineer | 6.39% | 40,858 |
| Supersonic Engineer | 7.54% | 4,402 |
| Chemical Engineer | 8.92% | - |
| Non-Destructive Testing Engineer | 10.43% | 1,722 |
| Water Supply Engineer | 12.89% | 28,413 |
Similar chemical engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Planner | 3.67% | 74,212 |
| Nuclear Design Engineer | 5.25% | 43,328 |
| Chief Electrical Engineer | 6.39% | 40,858 |
| Supersonic Engineer | 7.54% | 4,402 |
| Non-Destructive Testing Engineer | 10.43% | 1,722 |
| Water Supply Engineer | 12.89% | 28,413 |
Foreign languages spoken by chemical engineers
The most common foreign language among chemical engineers is Spanish at 25.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.9% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 12.4%.
- Spanish, 25.8%
- French, 12.9%
- Chinese, 12.4%
- Arabic, 7.6%
- Russian, 7.1%
- Other, 34.2%
Chemical engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 25.8% |
| French | 12.9% |
| Chinese | 12.4% |
| Arabic | 7.6% |
| Russian | 7.1% |
| Other | 34.2% |
