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The differences between plastics 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 $80,304 average annual salary of a plastics engineer.
The top three skills for a plastics engineer include sigma, project management and extrusion. The most important skills for a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Plastics Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,304 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $38.61 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 47,267 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Plastics engineers must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and they will receive training opportunities that involve workshops and seminars to keep job skills current. This career requires skills in Sigma, project management, CAD, product quality, and product design. Those who choose this career path engage in manufacturing, fabrication, and end use testing of existing materials and the development of new processes, materials, and equipment.
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.
Plastics engineers and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plastics Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,304 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $106,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Texas |
| Best paying company | Pfizer | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a plastics engineer and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Plastics Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Plastics Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between plastics engineers' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Plastics Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.3% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 9% | 9% |