Every year, a new class of chemical engineers enters the job market. Some choose to work in the industrial sector, developing new materials and manufacturing processes for a wide range of applications; some elect a government job, and others take academic posts.
AIChE conducted its Initial Placement Survey to see where this year’s graduating chemical engineers were headed (Table 1). The main destination regardless of degree (i.e., BS, MS, PhD) is industry — almost half of those with a BS, and about a third of those with an MS or PhD, are working in industry.
| Table 1. Initial placement of chemical engineering graduates, June 2015. | |||
| Placement | BS | MS | PhD |
| Industry | 48.9% | 30.0% | 27.9% |
|
Chemicals |
10.8% | 6.1% | 3.0% |
|
Fuels |
6.9% | 3.6% | 2.1% |
|
Design and Construction Services |
3.3% | 3.1% | 0.7% |
|
Environmental Engineering Services |
1.5% | 1.0% | 1.8% |
|
Research and Testing Services |
1.3% | 1.0% | 2.4% |
|
Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Related Industries |
5.7% | 4.6% | 8.9% |
|
Food and Consumer Products |
4.4% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
|
Materials |
3.3% | 3.1% | 3.6% |
|
Electronics |
2.6% | 1.5% | 3.0% |
|
Pulp and Paper |
1.8% | 1.0% | 0.0% |
|
Business Services |
1.1% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
|
Utilities |
0.9% | 0.5% | 0.0% |
|
Aerospace |
0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
|
Other |
4.6% | 3.5% | 1.1% |
| Government | 3.0% | 5.2% | 2.7% |
| Academic | 0.0% | 5.2% | 27.2% |
| Other Employment | 5.7% | 6.2% | 2.1% |
| Returned to Home Country | 0.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Continuing Education | 22.9% | 26.6% | 20.4% |
| Unemployed | 17.9% | 20.9% | 13.3% |
| Unknown | 1.0% | 1.5% | 2.0% |
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