Chemical Engineering Major — Salary & ROI 2026
Application of chemistry, physics, and math to design processes for producing chemicals, fuels, and materials.
Starting Salary
$82K
median
Mid-Career
$120K
salary
ROI Payback
3.2 yrs
avg payback
Unemployment
2.5%
rate
Chemical Engineering Overview
Application of chemistry, physics, and math to design processes for producing chemicals, fuels, and materials.
Category
Engineering
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Graduation Rate
66%
Enrollment Trend
stable
Online Available
Limited
Underemployment
10%
Lifetime Premium
$1050K
Female Graduates
35%
Chemical Engineering Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your actual return on investment based on school type and scholarships.
0 to $40K/year in aid
Est. Total Cost
$21,600
4-year tuition
Net Cost (w/ aid)
$21,600
after scholarships
ROI Payback
0 years
to break even
Lifetime Return
$1,028,400
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,050,000) minus net degree cost ($21,600)
Chemical Engineering Salary Progression
Common Chemical Engineering Careers
Chemical Engineer
Process Engineer
Plant Manager
Top Employers
Skills You'll Learn
Top Schools for Chemical Engineering
#1
MIT
#2
Stanford
#3
Caltech
#4
UC Berkeley
#5
Georgia Tech
Related Majors
Chemical Engineering Degree FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment and graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES/IPEDS). Tuition estimates based on College Board Annual Survey of Colleges. Last updated March 2026.
Chemical Engineering Programs by City
Tuition, salary outcomes, and cost of living for chemical engineering programs vary by city. See your local numbers:
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