Chemical Engineering

• Studying: 21%
• Employed in graduate job: 52%
• Employed in non-graduate job: 8%
• Unemployed: 13%

• Average graduate salary: £27,195
• Average non-graduate salary: £16,571

A chemical engineering degree develops many skills that are valued not only by engineering employers but also by those in a variety of sectors, including financial services, management and information technology.Consider the skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile. 

 View the best universities for chemical engineering degrees.

Prospects

A 2010 HESA survey of 2009 graduates indicates that six months after graduation, just over half of chemical engineering graduates had entered employment either in the UK or overseas. Of these, almost 63% were engineering professionals.

Approximately 8% became commercial, industrial and public sector managers, which may have been in areas such as manufacturing, mining or energy. Close to 5% became business and finance associate professionals, including estimators and valuers, underwriters, claims assessors, brokers, and investment analysts. Smaller numbers became marketing, sales and advertising professionals, or entered careers in information technology or other professional and technical occupations.

Where are the jobs?

Employers are as diverse as the products they produce and cover a broad range of industrial sectors. Any company involved in large-scale conversion of raw materials into a product will require chemical development engineers.

Major employers are those in gas and oil extraction, oil refining, nuclear and other power generation, and other process industries, including pharmaceuticals, fine and heavy chemicals and agrochemicals. Other manufacturing industries that need chemical engineers include those supplying food and drink, toiletries, pulp and paper, plastic and metals, and fibres and polymers.

Jobs directly related to your degree

There are a number of jobs that would be suitable for you to work in once you have completed your chemical engineering degree. These include:

• Chemical engineer
• Product/process development scientist
• Petroleum engineer
• Energy engineer

Jobs where your degree would be useful

A degree in chemical engineering would also be relevant for positions such as:

• Manufacturing engineer
• Materials engineer
• Production manager
• Quality manager

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Included with the permission of AGCAS and Graduate Prospects. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk. We would welcome your comments on this section of The Complete University Guide. Please email us at admin@thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk.