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Chemical Engineer vs Civil Engineer: what changes?

Consider Chemical Engineer if you want to 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…. Consider Civil Engineer if you would rather perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams…. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Chemical Engineer and Civil Engineer. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Chemical Engineer

National median pay (2025)
$125,040
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,100
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (21,900 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Chemical Engineer brief

Civil Engineer

National median pay (2025)
$100,840
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
22,700
Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Civil Engineer brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Civil Engineer has the edge on annual openings

Civil Engineer is at 22,700 annual openings, compared with 1,100 annual openings for Chemical Engineer.

2

Civil Engineer has the edge on projected growth

Civil Engineer is at 6.4% projected growth, compared with 4.7% projected growth for Chemical Engineer.

3

Chemical Engineer has the edge on median pay

Chemical Engineer is at $125,040, compared with $100,840 for Civil Engineer.

54.5/ 100

Chemical Engineer

vs
73.3/ 100

Civil Engineer

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Chemical Engineer vs Civil Engineer

DimensionChemical EngineerCivil Engineer
Median pay (2025)$125,040$100,840
Pay percentile90.7 percentile83.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)4.7%6.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)1,10022,700
2025 employment21,900380,600
How you qualifyBachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 4Job Zone 4
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Chemical Engineer briefRead Civil Engineer brief

Try another comparison

Chemical Engineer vs Electrical Engineer

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Chemical Engineer
$125,040 · 4.7% growth
Electrical Engineer
$120,630 · 9.9% growth
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Chemical Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Chemical Engineer
$125,040 · 4.7% growth
Mechanical Engineer
$104,110 · 11.2% growth
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Civil Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Civil Engineer
$100,840 · 6.4% growth
Mechanical Engineer
$104,110 · 11.2% growth
Compare careers →

Civil Engineer vs Electrical Engineer

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Civil Engineer
$100,840 · 6.4% growth
Electrical Engineer
$120,630 · 9.9% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.