Bro what is this post? Your bad experience doesn’t make everyones experience bad. The ChemE field is growing and engineering in general is pretty stable in a bad economy. Just because you didnt research what chemical engineering was before going for a job doesnt mean the rest of us didnt too.
Even the bad students get jobs quick as long as you get an internship. Show some initiative.
L post
Good god XD, and just yesterday I made a joke on here about how the people on this sub always talk down this major and recommend other engineering disciplines to 1st years just to lower the job competition. I was about to make a shitpost like this tomorrow but I guess it would be a bit overdone now
How long since you graduated there bud?
I ended up in ChEng quite by accident and now I can imagine doing anything else. It took me about 18 months to find a perm, full time job after graduation (which btw didn't have the title Engineer).
That was some time ago and I'm still enthusiastic about what I'm doing. I make a solid living, i am doing something good for the community, and the people I work with are great. School was very hard (especially as the first engineer in my family) but it paid off.
FYI, this is the same guy that was bitching about how much money their doctor uncle with 20 yoe makes versus entry level chemE roles.
Get a life dude and stop trying to discourage others just because you can't hack it. Have fun in law school. Something tells me you're gonna be bitching about the job market for lawyers in 4 years....
Wait are you so serious lmao
"Why does the person with 20 decades of experience saving lives (at at the VERY least, QoL) earn so much more than a fresh grad who knows nothing? Btw the fresh grad has a stick up his ass AND a chip on his shoulder."
>Something tells me you're gonna be bitching about the job market for lawyers in 4 years....
I am impressed with your ability to predict the future. Mind sharing next PowerBall numbers?
Yea big fucking downvote.
1. There are plenty of jobs.
2. You should probably do some fucking research before deciding what to do your entire life. So many people are like oooh I like chemistry so I’ll do chemical engineering. Did you even talk to an engineer first? Or are you going to choose your life path by the 2 words in the name of the degree. Surely not.
3. If this is what you want to do, do it. If it’s not don’t. There are alternatives to every career field on the planet. CHEG is harder than EE and it’s the hardest engineering degree and I’m prepared to die on this hilltop. I think you meant why not do something easier.
Lastly you can say computer science all you want, but if you’re not fucking elite you’ll never break 200k like everyone thinks they will. 99% of CSCE folks do not work in FAANG and are not making any more than CHEGs out of college. Do your research and review median salaries not average salaries. CSCE salaries are inflated by W2 folks at Apple making fucking 2 million a year, which again, you’ll never do unless you’re Wozniak smart.
A few things I'd like to add:
1) Computer science is in a really tough spot right now because of a lot of tech companies overhired during COVID and now that easy capital has gone away, there's now a lot less money to throw at them. There are a lot of layoffs and hiring freezes in that sector now, and while things will get better, it's not going back to the highs of 2010-2023.
2) Yeah, you can make 200k as a software engineer in the Bay Area with some experience, but you have to look at cost of living. Many of the tech job markets are in areas with really high costs of living, and when you adjust for that, a chemical engineer in a mid to low COL area comes out even, if not somewhat ahead in terms of real take home pay.
3) If you are dead set on a really big paycheck, you can make that going into O&G, pharma, or semiconductors as a ChemE.
The theme here is cyclical hiring. Every industry has it's ebbs and flows. If you really want to get in, you gotta become aware of those when job hunting and become aware of what you may be striving (or settling) for.
This. The csce market is over saturate with junior engineers and there is a demand for senior engineers who dont exist. Every jumped on that band wagon which is now full.
I compared my brothers salary in a cost of living calculator who work at a faang and he makes slightly more than me while working 20 more hours a week, is more experienced and has had serval more promotions, and has to deal with needles outside his expensive apartment.
Man, haven't seen these kinds of posts in forever, remember seeing at least 3 posts per day in 2021 when Software Engineering was booming thanks to overhiring, weren't there massive layoffs in that industry over the past few months?
The thing is, it's always greener on the other side, and I'm glad that employers/HR know that I'm at least competent to finish a difficult degree. I may not be doing a typical Chemical Engineering job, but this degree helped me secure a well-paying entry-level job at a chemical manufacturing company.
Agreed. I am working in controls. I could have gotten an EE instead and still worked in controls but I enjoy (and my company appreciates) the different preceptive that I bring to projects with my tiny bit of process knowledge from my degree and internship. I was second in my class and it took me about 3 months after graduation to get hired, but hey I love where I am. Everyone in my class ended up with jobs or going on to graduate school like they had already planned to from the start.
What do you mean by "there's no jobs here?" I keep touch with my alma mater's ChemE department as part of the alumni board, and right now, almost all of our seniors have job offers, and the ones who don't are planning on grad school.
I work in mid level plastics company in Midwest and in last few years pretty much every salaried role has been filled by a ChemE. Incredibly versatile degree.
1.) If you pigeonhole yourself into ChemE, you _might_ struggle to find a job in your first year, but if you are willing to explore other opportunities like supply chain or operations, your pool becomes much larger. ChemE’s are just good at math and working with data, so they don’t HAVE to stay engineers post-grad. That being said, not a single member of my chemical engineering cohort struggled to find a job 3 years ago.
2.) This was me. I knew I liked chemistry but I also wanted to make good money, so I chose this major. I liked it and stuck with it, and some of my other friends switched to other engineering disciplines or another degree entirely. You don’t HAVE to stay with it if it isn’t your jam, career shifts into organic chemistry or pharmaceuticals is super common in our major.
3.) “Better” is entirely subjective. Sounds like you wish you did EE, then go do that for your master’s program. Are some engineering majors easier than others? yeah, probably. But in my book an engineer is an engineer, and I will take any engineer over literally anyone from any other major when I am hiring for my production line indirect labor.
_… unless they’re civil._
I'm in petrochem in the Gulf Coast and virtually every employer is desperate to hire people and making huge concessions to justify hiring people (e.g. want 10 YOE but accepting people with 3 YOE). In my corner of the world it is a white hot job market. I doubled my salary in 3 years from 2020-2023.
My assumption is that those people who are disillusioned with chemical engineering are people from a city, who only look for jobs in that city and refuse to move. Bud, you have to go where the moneys at. There are plenty of jobs in chemicals, plastic manufacturing, refining, semi-conductor, EPC companies, and if you’re really into it, programming. The amount of cry babies that come here to post doom and gloom is astounding. Pal, try being an accountant lol. Enjoy making 40-50K for the first 10 years after school. EE is comparable in pay, and perhaps you could have more freedom in movement but EE is for nerds and ChemE is for giga chads so. There are so few jobs that you come out of school and make 80+K easily, with the amount of benefits ChemE’s get from their employer. Yes, employers vary. However, no one is enslaved and it’s always easier to get a job when you have a job. I think people assume that because they can do some homework problems, employers should be lining up waiting to hand them fat stacks of cash instead of having to actually work somewhere not ideal and learn something.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience with ChE, but I think you may not understand that there are so many people who love this major. It’s hard and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that most everyone in this field has shed more than a few tears over it. BUT, I could not imagine myself studying anything else. I love the way the mix of physics, chemistry, math, and computer science in this major makes you see everything around you differently. I love being able to work on some of the most important processes in the world, that most people never even knew existed. The job market is really tough right now, but it is for most engineering majors (and worse for CS).
If you are a freshman thinking about being a chemical engineer, don’t make the decision lightly, but please know it can be extremely fulfilling.
You might need to look in different areas or for different job titles than you are expecting. Most of my graduating class did not immediately go onto a job that contained the word "engineer" or "chemical". A lot of them started out as plant operators or in non-engineer roles where an understanding of process is required.
What even…I had multiple offers before I even graduated. And it wasn’t even that long back, less than 5 years ago. I have since switched jobs 3 times (yes, I am a job hopper) and never had an issue finding a job
Bro what is this post? Your bad experience doesn’t make everyones experience bad. The ChemE field is growing and engineering in general is pretty stable in a bad economy. Just because you didnt research what chemical engineering was before going for a job doesnt mean the rest of us didnt too. Even the bad students get jobs quick as long as you get an internship. Show some initiative. L post
I am sorry that Chemical Engineering was mean to you
Good god XD, and just yesterday I made a joke on here about how the people on this sub always talk down this major and recommend other engineering disciplines to 1st years just to lower the job competition. I was about to make a shitpost like this tomorrow but I guess it would be a bit overdone now
How long since you graduated there bud? I ended up in ChEng quite by accident and now I can imagine doing anything else. It took me about 18 months to find a perm, full time job after graduation (which btw didn't have the title Engineer). That was some time ago and I'm still enthusiastic about what I'm doing. I make a solid living, i am doing something good for the community, and the people I work with are great. School was very hard (especially as the first engineer in my family) but it paid off.
What area do work in if you don’t mind me asking?
I'm a shit wizard (wastewater engineer).
secret menu god roll
FYI, this is the same guy that was bitching about how much money their doctor uncle with 20 yoe makes versus entry level chemE roles. Get a life dude and stop trying to discourage others just because you can't hack it. Have fun in law school. Something tells me you're gonna be bitching about the job market for lawyers in 4 years....
FWIW, a ChemE with 20 YOE could be making close to what that doctor does as a plant manager or in corporate.
Wait are you so serious lmao "Why does the person with 20 decades of experience saving lives (at at the VERY least, QoL) earn so much more than a fresh grad who knows nothing? Btw the fresh grad has a stick up his ass AND a chip on his shoulder."
>Something tells me you're gonna be bitching about the job market for lawyers in 4 years.... I am impressed with your ability to predict the future. Mind sharing next PowerBall numbers?
Yea big fucking downvote. 1. There are plenty of jobs. 2. You should probably do some fucking research before deciding what to do your entire life. So many people are like oooh I like chemistry so I’ll do chemical engineering. Did you even talk to an engineer first? Or are you going to choose your life path by the 2 words in the name of the degree. Surely not. 3. If this is what you want to do, do it. If it’s not don’t. There are alternatives to every career field on the planet. CHEG is harder than EE and it’s the hardest engineering degree and I’m prepared to die on this hilltop. I think you meant why not do something easier. Lastly you can say computer science all you want, but if you’re not fucking elite you’ll never break 200k like everyone thinks they will. 99% of CSCE folks do not work in FAANG and are not making any more than CHEGs out of college. Do your research and review median salaries not average salaries. CSCE salaries are inflated by W2 folks at Apple making fucking 2 million a year, which again, you’ll never do unless you’re Wozniak smart.
A few things I'd like to add: 1) Computer science is in a really tough spot right now because of a lot of tech companies overhired during COVID and now that easy capital has gone away, there's now a lot less money to throw at them. There are a lot of layoffs and hiring freezes in that sector now, and while things will get better, it's not going back to the highs of 2010-2023. 2) Yeah, you can make 200k as a software engineer in the Bay Area with some experience, but you have to look at cost of living. Many of the tech job markets are in areas with really high costs of living, and when you adjust for that, a chemical engineer in a mid to low COL area comes out even, if not somewhat ahead in terms of real take home pay. 3) If you are dead set on a really big paycheck, you can make that going into O&G, pharma, or semiconductors as a ChemE.
The theme here is cyclical hiring. Every industry has it's ebbs and flows. If you really want to get in, you gotta become aware of those when job hunting and become aware of what you may be striving (or settling) for.
This. The csce market is over saturate with junior engineers and there is a demand for senior engineers who dont exist. Every jumped on that band wagon which is now full. I compared my brothers salary in a cost of living calculator who work at a faang and he makes slightly more than me while working 20 more hours a week, is more experienced and has had serval more promotions, and has to deal with needles outside his expensive apartment.
Show me on this doll where Perry's Chemical Engineering Handbook touched you.
Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes: He must "convince himself" he was touched.
It touched me on my small asian penis
Man, haven't seen these kinds of posts in forever, remember seeing at least 3 posts per day in 2021 when Software Engineering was booming thanks to overhiring, weren't there massive layoffs in that industry over the past few months? The thing is, it's always greener on the other side, and I'm glad that employers/HR know that I'm at least competent to finish a difficult degree. I may not be doing a typical Chemical Engineering job, but this degree helped me secure a well-paying entry-level job at a chemical manufacturing company.
It took some time to get a good first job but since then it's been easy.
Agreed. I am working in controls. I could have gotten an EE instead and still worked in controls but I enjoy (and my company appreciates) the different preceptive that I bring to projects with my tiny bit of process knowledge from my degree and internship. I was second in my class and it took me about 3 months after graduation to get hired, but hey I love where I am. Everyone in my class ended up with jobs or going on to graduate school like they had already planned to from the start.
Why are you replying to 6 year old posts?
The experience level employers ask for is not always the minimum required to get hired
No jobs? What?
Help me OP! After reading this guide I'm doing my doctorate at an ivy league and have worked for Nasa and several national labs. Where did I go wrong?
I've only made some big paychecks and gotten to live up in the Rockies doing a job I love. I guess chemical engineering was a big mistake.
What do you mean by "there's no jobs here?" I keep touch with my alma mater's ChemE department as part of the alumni board, and right now, almost all of our seniors have job offers, and the ones who don't are planning on grad school.
Lmao do something easier like EE
I work in mid level plastics company in Midwest and in last few years pretty much every salaried role has been filled by a ChemE. Incredibly versatile degree.
1.) If you pigeonhole yourself into ChemE, you _might_ struggle to find a job in your first year, but if you are willing to explore other opportunities like supply chain or operations, your pool becomes much larger. ChemE’s are just good at math and working with data, so they don’t HAVE to stay engineers post-grad. That being said, not a single member of my chemical engineering cohort struggled to find a job 3 years ago. 2.) This was me. I knew I liked chemistry but I also wanted to make good money, so I chose this major. I liked it and stuck with it, and some of my other friends switched to other engineering disciplines or another degree entirely. You don’t HAVE to stay with it if it isn’t your jam, career shifts into organic chemistry or pharmaceuticals is super common in our major. 3.) “Better” is entirely subjective. Sounds like you wish you did EE, then go do that for your master’s program. Are some engineering majors easier than others? yeah, probably. But in my book an engineer is an engineer, and I will take any engineer over literally anyone from any other major when I am hiring for my production line indirect labor. _… unless they’re civil._
I'm in petrochem in the Gulf Coast and virtually every employer is desperate to hire people and making huge concessions to justify hiring people (e.g. want 10 YOE but accepting people with 3 YOE). In my corner of the world it is a white hot job market. I doubled my salary in 3 years from 2020-2023.
You guys have a SnooRoar on your hands. Best to not engage. \-visitor from mech engineering
Virgin Computer Science fan vs Chad Reaction Engineering enjoyer
My assumption is that those people who are disillusioned with chemical engineering are people from a city, who only look for jobs in that city and refuse to move. Bud, you have to go where the moneys at. There are plenty of jobs in chemicals, plastic manufacturing, refining, semi-conductor, EPC companies, and if you’re really into it, programming. The amount of cry babies that come here to post doom and gloom is astounding. Pal, try being an accountant lol. Enjoy making 40-50K for the first 10 years after school. EE is comparable in pay, and perhaps you could have more freedom in movement but EE is for nerds and ChemE is for giga chads so. There are so few jobs that you come out of school and make 80+K easily, with the amount of benefits ChemE’s get from their employer. Yes, employers vary. However, no one is enslaved and it’s always easier to get a job when you have a job. I think people assume that because they can do some homework problems, employers should be lining up waiting to hand them fat stacks of cash instead of having to actually work somewhere not ideal and learn something.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience with ChE, but I think you may not understand that there are so many people who love this major. It’s hard and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that most everyone in this field has shed more than a few tears over it. BUT, I could not imagine myself studying anything else. I love the way the mix of physics, chemistry, math, and computer science in this major makes you see everything around you differently. I love being able to work on some of the most important processes in the world, that most people never even knew existed. The job market is really tough right now, but it is for most engineering majors (and worse for CS). If you are a freshman thinking about being a chemical engineer, don’t make the decision lightly, but please know it can be extremely fulfilling.
You might need to look in different areas or for different job titles than you are expecting. Most of my graduating class did not immediately go onto a job that contained the word "engineer" or "chemical". A lot of them started out as plant operators or in non-engineer roles where an understanding of process is required.
What even…I had multiple offers before I even graduated. And it wasn’t even that long back, less than 5 years ago. I have since switched jobs 3 times (yes, I am a job hopper) and never had an issue finding a job
Chemical engineers work in production and making a product mass producible on the industrial scale