Chemical Engineers
SOC Code: 17-2041 Job Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed
Design chemical plant equipment and devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products, such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, detergents, cement, paper, and pulp, by applying principles and technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Chemical Engineers. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $107,453 | $163,238 | $219,045 | $274,830 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $106,704 | $159,099 | $211,494 | $263,890 |
| Vallejo, CA | $105,019 | $157,955 | $210,912 | $263,848 |
| Modesto, CA | $104,104 | $155,750 | $207,397 | $259,043 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $102,315 | $151,674 | $201,032 | $250,390 |
| Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $79,394 | $121,826 | $164,237 | $206,669 |
| Casper, WY | $76,544 | $118,581 | $160,638 | $202,675 |
| Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $76,544 | $118,581 | $160,638 | $202,675 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $88,920 | $125,819 | $162,739 | $199,638 |
| Salinas, CA | $98,779 | $131,997 | $165,194 | $198,411 |
H-1B Filing Data
Top H-1B Employers
| Employer | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY | 57 | $116,790 |
| Amgen Inc. | 57 | $120,295 |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | 48 | $117,503 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | 45 | $134,063 |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | 41 | $98,946 |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | 38 | $139,671 |
| Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 32 | $142,834 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 31 | $72,268 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | 31 | $124,071 |
| Applied Materials, Inc | 30 | $132,757 |
Filing Trend
| Year | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 172 | $106,471 |
| 2021 | 214 | $106,435 |
| 2022 | 186 | $114,144 |
| 2023 | 521 | $110,172 |
| 2024 | 882 | $112,874 |
| 2025 | 1,044 | $734,035 |
| 2026 | 130 | $124,785 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 | |
| Science | 4.1 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | |
| Active Learning | 3.9 | |
| Systems Analysis | 3.9 | |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.9 | |
| Mathematics | 3.8 | |
| Operations Analysis | 3.6 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Engineering and Technology | 4.8 |
| Chemistry | 4.7 |
| Mathematics | 4.3 |
| Design | 4.0 |
| Physics | 4.0 |
| Production and Processing | 4.0 |
| English Language | 3.7 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.2 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 91.3% |
| Master's degree | 4.3% |
| Post-doctoral training | 4.3% |
Typical Tasks
- Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.
- Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
- Direct activities of workers who operate or are engaged in constructing and improving absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment.
- Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and test proposed processes in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant.
- Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.
- Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.
- Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Autodesk AutoCAD C C++ Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Project Microsoft Visio Microsoft Visual Basic Microsoft Word R SAP software Structured query language SQL
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