Chemical engineer

Chemical engineers develop ways to turn raw materials into everyday products.

Potential salary: £34,000 starter to £65,000 experienced per year
Typical hours: 39 to 41 a week. Working pattern: evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts.
Career area: Engineering
Where they might work: You could work in a laboratory, at a manufacturing plant or in an office. Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time. You may need to wear protective clothing.
A typical task: test new ways to develop products in the lab, like biofuels
Subjects that may help: 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
Typical route: You can do a degree or postgraduate qualification accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) .
Interest area used here: Asking questions and research, Making, fixing and working outdoors

Career actions

What you might do

test new ways to develop products in the lab, like biofuels
use computer modelling to investigate cost-effective and environmentally friendly production methods
plan how to turn lab research into pilot production, then large-scale processing
develop methods to deal safely with by-products and waste materials
work with plant designers to create production equipment and instruments
oversee the day-to-day operation of the processing plant

More tasks (2)

Consider which of these skills and ways of working appeal to you.

More skills

You can do a degree or postgraduate qualification accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) .
Subjects include:
chemical engineering
process engineering
biochemical engineering
You may be able to do a postgraduate conversion course if you have a degree in a related area like engineering, chemistry or polymer science.
Many courses include work placements which can give you valuable experience of working in the industry.
Some universities offer a foundation year for people without qualifications in maths and science, which allows them to move onto the degree course afterwards.
You'll usually need:
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including chemistry
a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
equivalent entry requirements
student finance for fees and living costs
university courses and entry requirements

These are course families, not published offers. A link does not mean the degree is sufficient on its own.

You could apply to do a Science Industry Process Engineer Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
This takes around 5 years to complete and combines learning on the job and time spent with a training provider.
You'll usually need:
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
equivalent entry requirements
guide to apprenticeships

Career progression

Chemical engineers can be found working in many different sectors, including:
pharmaceuticals
energy production
food and drink manufacturing
environmental engineering
With experience, you could become a senior process or design engineer, or research and development manager.
You might go on to be a plant manager or overall operations manager.
You could also work towards chartered engineer status , which gives professional recognition of your skills and expertise in the industry.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including chemistry
a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship