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The differences between material engineers and chemical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemical engineer has an average salary of $89,449, which is higher than the $86,258 average annual salary of a material engineer.
The top three skills for a material engineer include DOD, failure analysis and data analysis. The most important skills for a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Material Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,258 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $41.47 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 89,717 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Materials engineers are responsible for developing, processing, and testing materials used to create a wide variety of products. These professionals study and evaluate the properties and structure of different materials, including plastics, metal, ceramics, and composites, to create new products. They also perform other tasks that include providing technical advice on suitable materials, diagnosing faults, and providing advice on planning and conducting inspections, repairs, and maintenance. Additionally, they may also oversee the work of other scientists like technicians and evaluate the technical and economic factors surrounding the design aspects of products.
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.
Material engineers and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,258 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $113,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Texas |
| Best paying company | Apple | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a material engineer and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Material Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Materials Science And Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between material engineers' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Material Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.6% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |