"One word.......'Plastics'!"
Posted on 06/18/2013 11:23:54 AM PDT by thackney
Chemical engineers are pulling a median salary of $120,000, a 9 percent hike since 2011, according to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. And unemployment in the field has dropped to 2.1 percent, from 3.8 percent in 2011.
The trade group has released the latest edition of its biennial salary survey, which shows the employment environment has improved considerably for chemical engineers in the past couple of years. In the group’s last survey, conducted in 2011, raises for chemical engineers had declined to their lowest point in two decades.
Since then, the U.S. shale boom has released an abundance of natural gas on the market, providing a low-cost feedstock for the chemical industry. That has led to the rapid expansion of chemical plants and a surge in hiring in the chemicals business, particularly on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast.
As the employment environment has improved, however, salary differences between the genders have persisted, the survey found. While there’s little disparity between salaries of young women and young men early in their careers, the pay gap in chemical engineering widens considerably as professionals gain experience.
After 10 years in the business, women at almost all ages and experience levels made less than their male counterparts, according to the chemical engineers’ institute.
The organization attributed the pay gap to family leave. For both men and women, taking six months to a year off of work was associated with an average salary cut of about $14,000, the group’s survey found.
“Most of the male respondents who took time off were out for three months or less, while female respondents were most likely to take off four to six months,” wrote Cynthia Mascone in a summary of the survey results in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ magazine.
The survey also showed that in general, engineers whose salaries fall behind because of family leave never catch up.
“We read this as good news, though, for women pursuing a career in chemical engineering,” said American Institute of Chemical Engineers Executive Director June Wispelwey in a written statement. “It’s been five decades since the passage of the Equal Pay Act, and some industries still demonstrate pay inequity between men and women. This salary survey shows that chemical engineering is a fantastic career that compensates both women and men fairly.”
Demand for chemical engineers has also soared on green energy research, backed mostly by the feds.
Ex-Ladyfriend’s daughter graduated at the top of her class at OSU a couple years ago. Dual Majors; Chemistry and Bio-Mechanical Engineering. Companies were fighting over her when she completed her Sophomore year. I’m not worried about her job future!
Wow.
At OSU or The OSU?
Do you have anything to back up that statement. Or are you just guessing?
So why the heck can’t I find a job?
I do catalysis research.
Are you a Chemical Engineer?
"One word.......'Plastics'!"
Study useful things in school, get a good job.
Major in Liberal Arts, work at Starbucks.
got my degree in that.
IP, have a look.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3032772/posts
MG,
Try the above contractor or others if you are in Technology/Process/Plant design, Safety, etc.
Yes, but what do you know about where the new jobs are for chemical engineers?
Note: I'm an engineer myself and I have some grand-kids that I'm encouraging to "go technical". So I have a stake in tracking where the jobs are these days in the technical fields.
LOL,
Wrong URL!
Try this:
http://www.fluor.com/business_segments/energy_chemicals/Pages/default.aspx
Houston is crying for ChE’s.
Ohio State. She had so many grants and scholarships that it cost her Mom nothing but a bit on taxes. One paid room and board, and actually gave her some walking around cash! She tutored for extra cash. Daughter of Chinese immigrants. Very motivated,,, besides being brilliant. I miss her terribly! She was basically my little girl for 15 years.
My engineering degree came from them a few decades ago.
They’d be crying once I sent them my resume. lol No PE cause I stayed at home raising our 4 kids. I had the “Domestic Engineer” title.
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