r/ChemicalEngineering Jul 08 '20

Mod Frequently asked questions (start here)

595 Upvotes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is chemical engineering? What is the difference between chemical engineers and chemists?

In short: chemists develop syntheses and chemical engineers work on scaling these processes up or maintaining existing scaled-up operations.

Here are some threads that give bulkier answers:

What is a typical day/week like for a chemical engineer?

Hard to say. There's such a variety of roles that a chemical engineer can fill. For example, a cheme can be a project engineer, process design engineer, process operations engineer, technical specialist, academic, lab worker, or six sigma engineer. Here's some samples:

How can I become a chemical engineer?

For a high school student

For a college student

If you've already got your Bachelor's degree, you can become a ChemE by getting a Masters or PhD in chemical engineering. This is quite common for Chemistry majors. Check out Making the Jump to ChemEng from Chemistry.

I want to get into the _______ industry. How can I do that?

Should I take the professional engineering (F.E./P.E.) license tests?

What should I minor in/focus in?"

What programming language should I learn to compliment my ChemE degree?

Getting a Job

First of all, keep in mind that the primary purpose of this sub is not job searches. It is a place to discuss the discipline of chemical engineering. There are others more qualified than us to answer job search questions. Go to the blogosphere first. Use the Reddit search function. No, use Google to search Reddit. For example, 'site:reddit.com/r/chemicalengineering low gpa'.

Good place to apply for jobs? from /u/EatingSteak

For a college student

For a graduate

For a graduate with a low GPA

For a graduate with no internships

How can I get an internship or co-op?

How should I prepare for interviews?

What types of interview questions do people ask in interviews?

Research

I'm interested in research. What are some options, and how can I begin?

Higher Education

Note: The advice in the threads in this section focuses on grad school in the US. In the UK, a MSc degree is of more practical value for a ChemE than a Masters degree in the US.

Networking

Should I have a LinkedIn profile?

Should I go to a career fair/expo?

TL;DR: Yes. Also, when you talk to a recruiter, get their card, and email them later thanking them for their time and how much you enjoyed the conversation. Follow up. So few do. So few.

The Resume

What should I put on my resume and how should I format it?

First thing you can do is post your resume on our monthly resume sticky thread. Ask for feedback. If you post early in the month, you're more likely to get feedback.

Finally, a little perspective on the setting your expectations for the field.


r/ChemicalEngineering Jan 26 '26

Salary 2026 Chemical Engineering Compensation Report (USA)

192 Upvotes

The 2026 Chemical Engineering Compensation Report is now available - the link to the full report below. There is a PDF version of it there also. Many thanks to the 1,947 people who submitted their data this year - if you supported my effort, you should have received an email (or LinkedIn message if your email bounced back) last week with access to the report.

This year I was able to incorporate some dashboards into the report, which will allow people to explore the data, in a limited way, for themselves and I'm really excited about this! This is moving in the direction of where I eventually want to see this all go.

This subreddit has been extremely supportive of what I've doing and I'm so grateful for all of you!

Here is a link to the full report: https://www.sunrecruiting.com/2026chemecomp/


r/ChemicalEngineering 6h ago

Career Advice cover letter

6 Upvotes

do engineering jobs really care about a cover letter?


r/ChemicalEngineering 1h ago

Student Grad application

Upvotes

What are my chances of getting admission into the USA for a PhD in chemical engineering? My CGPA is 3.7 upto 6th semesters(top 10% of the class). I have a conference paper on CO2 capture and my current thesis is LCA. Hopefully the thesis will be published as well. Thank you


r/ChemicalEngineering 24m ago

Career Advice Transitioning out of startups?

Upvotes

has anyone here transitioned from a startup to any of the big name chem e companies (like Exxon/basf/dupont) as a scientist?

after my PhD I’ve worked at 3 small startups and no matter how many places I apply to I only hear back from other small startups. Is it because I need visa sponsorship? I’m tired of needing to find a new role every year/year and a half and just want some semblance of stability.


r/ChemicalEngineering 20h ago

Career Advice How is Chevron and its subsidiaries?

5 Upvotes

How is it like to intern/work for Chevron as an engineer?

Im trying to get a sense of what things are like in Chevron that does not depend on manager/department.

  1. Pay

  2. Career growth

  3. Company's take on WLB

  4. Learning opportunities (for intern)

And does these values carry over to the company's subsidiaries?


r/ChemicalEngineering 12h ago

Career Advice Seeking an internship Chemical Engineering, Decarbonization Focus

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm a final-year Chemical/Process Engineering student (Master's )looking for an internship in the decarbonization space — CCUS, green/blue hydrogen, or industrial process optimization.

Which companies would you recommend I target — majors, EPCs, or startups? Any leads or advice are much appreciated!!!☺️


r/ChemicalEngineering 22h ago

Job Search Intersection of Chemical and Software Engineering

5 Upvotes

Hi all,

I'm a recent Chem E grad with a penchant for the software/coding side of the industry. Creating computer tools has always been my strong suit (my GitHub is also janKaje if you want to check it out), but I also love the complex engineering and problem solving that Chem E brings - or at least, what I saw in undergrad. I'm pretty good at Python and I'm in the middle of teaching myself Rust and some common software engineering principles like CI/CD. I used those skills to do some advanced electrochemistry research in undergrad, and that taught me that it wouldn't be impossible to combine both of these interests for a potential career.

With that out of the way, is there any way to search for these kinds of jobs in particular? Or is this a little too niche? I've been able to find a few, but they're always scattered in with the LinkedIn recommendations. This one that I found today is maybe the best example of this niche I'm looking for.

If any of you have any suggestions I would be more than grateful :) Thanks so much!


r/ChemicalEngineering 14h ago

Career Advice skills to learn

0 Upvotes

what are some skills you can learn, i already know excel,scada,dwsim,cad and learning ansys cfd now


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Career Advice What to do in excel

19 Upvotes

Currently upskilling and I am beginning with mastering MS Excel.

Any tips on features that would be really useful as a ChemE and possibly some programs I could try to do as practice?


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Career Advice Applying for ChemE roles with a Process Engineering degree

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I hold a bachelor’s and a master in Process Engineering. Throughout my 5 years of study, I covered all core ChemE subjects, including fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, process control, unit operations, organic chemistry...

My master's had a specialization track in Food Engineering, but the degree itself is fundamentally process engineering, and I want to keep my options open for general chemE roles across different industries.

I'm wondering how recruiters and hiring managers view process engineering degrees compared to traditional ChemE titles. Does the distinction cause any friction during ATS screening or interviews, or are the two largely treated as interchangeable in industry?

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has taken a similar path or hires for these positions!


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Career Advice Excel and python

35 Upvotes

Is it worth learning excel and python as a chemE student or is there other software that’s more valuable


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Student Forgetting formats and some concepts

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone! so I am a senior chemical engineering student, and I get good grades lol. sometimes I forget some secondary stuff in mass transfer for example that we get taught after awhile and completely forget formulas and it makes me absolutely terrified and that I might be a terrible engineer. Does it often happen to everyone or do i need to fix something?


r/ChemicalEngineering 19h ago

Student FE PRACTICE EXAM

0 Upvotes

does anyone have a FE chemical practice exam they can share


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Career Advice Process Engineers who moved from India to the Middle East how did you make the move?

13 Upvotes

I’m curious about process engineers who worked in India and later moved to the Middle East (UAE, Saudi, Qatar, etc.), either by applying directly or through their company.

  1. How many years of experience did you have when you moved?
  2. Did you apply directly or move through your company?
  3. How is the work culture compared to India?

Any answers or personal experiences would be really appreciated!


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Salary Chemical Engineers in Saudi Arabia

17 Upvotes

I have a few questions:

1) How much are chemical engineers paid (freshers)?

2) What about a person who has a master's degree?

3) Is getting a master's degree worth it?

4) Which are the prime locations to be employed at?

5) Does the university of graduation matter? What about KFUPM, KSU and KAU? (International students)

6) What can a student do while in uni to make himself standout?

7) Should a student do a specialisation or an internship in the 4th year of his degree?

8) Is polymer science a good specialisation for a chemical engineer? What specialisations could be more beneficial?

Thank you


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Student A level admission for German public universities

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0 Upvotes

r/ChemicalEngineering 21h ago

Student Lap t o p for Chemical Engineering

0 Upvotes

I am a student about to start my Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. I want to buy a lap t o p, but what type should I get, one with a dedicated GPU or without one?


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

O&G Is this natural gas?

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0 Upvotes

And if so, what are all these components?

Western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Career Advice Fully remote jobs?

0 Upvotes

Silly question really, but is it possible to work some sort of fully remote job with a master's in ChemE and 1 YoE + 7 YoE in an unrelated industry as an EU citizen from an employer in other places of the EU or even possibly the US?

I know the job market's absolutely cooked right now, but it's especially cooked here (not much in terms of chemical industry, research is almost non existent, with a good chunk of local grads pivoting to jobs such as consulting etc).


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Student ChemE + Robotics double major?

2 Upvotes

Just realised that this is something I can complete within the four years, and I really like the robotics class I'm taking this semester. Wanna hear everyone's thoughts on this combo as its a little unconventional!


r/ChemicalEngineering 2d ago

Design Pipe / Fitting frictional loss calculation website.

15 Upvotes

I used to use freecalc.net but that site is gone. Does anyone have a recommendation for a site for fictional pipe losses with different viscosity?


r/ChemicalEngineering 1d ago

Student Overseas internship/co-op advice

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I’m an Irish university student currently studying chemical engineering, entering my third year this year. I’m looking to complete a co-op/internship in Canada during 2027, ideally in Alberta for the oil and gas opportunities. This internship is mandatory for my university course.

I’m beginning to look into the Canadian internship/co-op market and would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has experience with this!
A few questions I have:

-Do Canadian companies consider international students studying outside of Canada for engineering internship or co op positions?

-How difficult would it be to get an internship without being attending Canadian university?

-Are there particular companies in Alberta that are more open to international applicants?

-What are the best job boards, websites, or approaches for finding these opportunities?
Would it be worth it to contact companies/recruiters directly, or is applying through their standard internship portals the better approach?

If anyone has successfully gone from an Irish/European university to an engineering internship in Canada, I’d especially love to hear how you went about it!

Any advice on where to look, how early to apply, or how to make myself a stronger candidate as an international applicant would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much!


r/ChemicalEngineering 2d ago

Software Resolução de problema no aspen plus

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1 Upvotes

Boa tarde, pessoal. Sou estudante de engenharia química, estou nos primeiros periódos e recentemente fui introduzido ao aspen. Estou tendo dificuldades em resolver problemas nas simulações muitas vezes não consigo e só com muito auxílio de professores, consigo resolver. Estou em um projeto e para me capacitar, o professor pediu que eu replicasse um artigo muito bem feito e publicado por uma ex aluna da universidade, como sou novato, estou enfrentando bastante dificuldade. Fiquei travando em uma parte onde eu preciso realizar a análise de sensibilidade, variando algumas especificações, no caso, as da tabela enviada. Porém está apresentando alguns erros, tanto no design spec, que estranhamente só aceita um valor específico de fração de etileno glicol em um prato, só aceita 0,35 e entre outros erros. Com certeza é um erro de balanco de massa e de energia, porém não consigo identificar há semanas. Quem tiver experiencia com o aspen plus e puder me auxiliar ficaria muito grato. Segue a imagem da tabela a qual tenho que seguir e do PFD.


r/ChemicalEngineering 2d ago

Modeling UK Thought Experiment: Coal Fired Electricity

5 Upvotes

Hi UK engineers. As we know burning coal for electricity ended in 2024.

To my knowledge it was pushed off the grid due to renewable penetration and carbon pricing.

First: is my understanding on why coal left the grid correct? Or are there other factors such as privatisation and fuel prices

Second: If there was no carbon price, would coal still be on the grid? In my mind nuclear eats up its base load revenue and Natural gas it’s peaking revenue?

Third: Other than inertia, did it provide anything beneficial to the grid? I once saw someone say it “kept gas generators honest” I don’t really understand what this means

Most of the takes you hear are “Coal bad” or “Coal good, killed due to woke” looking to hear a technical perspective not a political one