Chemical Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Chemical Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 17-2041 and 17-2141). The national median annual wage is $125,040 for chemical engineers and $104,110 for mechanical engineers (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +4.7% for chemical engineers and +11.2% for mechanical engineers from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree vs Bachelor's degree. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | Chemical EngineerSOC 17-2041 | Mechanical EngineerSOC 17-2141 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $125,040 | $104,110 | Chemical Engineer |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 21,070 | 296,810 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +4.7% | +11.2% | Mechanical Engineer |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +1,000 jobs | +33,500 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 1,100 a year | 17,800 a year | Mechanical Engineer |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree | About the same |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | None | None | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.01 | 2.83 | About the same |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 3.66 | 3.92 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 4.04 | 4.25 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Attention to Detail, Cautiousness, Dependability | Attention to Detail, Dependability, Innovation | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- higher median pay matters most ($125,040 vs $104,110)
- faster projected national growth matters (+11.2% vs +4.7%)
- more decision-making freedom matters (4.25 vs 4.04)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 91% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
- Technology Design (+2.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Critical Thinking (+0.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Science (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Judgment and Decision Making (+0.5 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Installation (+2.1 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Equipment Maintenance (+1.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Repairing (+1.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Operation and Control (+0.7 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Chemical Engineer
- Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
- Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
- Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
Mechanical Engineer
- Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
- Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
- Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
- Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Chemical Engineer
- Chemical manufacturing (27.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (24.1% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Machinery manufacturing (6.1% of all jobs in this occupation)
Mechanical Engineer
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (31.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Machinery manufacturing (13.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Transportation equipment manufacturing (10.5% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Chemical Engineer → Mechanical Engineer: skills to build: Installation, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing. Careers after Chemical Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer → Chemical Engineer: skills to build: Technology Design, Critical Thinking, Science. Careers after Mechanical Engineer
Go deeper
Chemical Engineer career hub · Chemical Engineer salary · Chemical Engineer career change · Mechanical Engineer career hub · Mechanical Engineer salary · Mechanical Engineer how to become · Mechanical Engineer career change
Common questions
Which pays more, Chemical Engineer or Mechanical Engineer?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 17-2041 and 17-2141). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “chemical engineer vs mechanical engineer”, “mechanical engineer vs chemical engineer” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).