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The differences between process 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 $82,443 average annual salary of a process engineer.
The top three skills for a process engineer include continuous improvement, sigma and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Process Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,443 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $39.64 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 66,937 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
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.
Process engineers and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,443 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $108,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rio Rancho, NM | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Texas |
| Best paying company | Apple | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a process engineer and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between process engineers' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Process Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 9% |