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Chemical Engineer vs Petroleum Engineers: 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 Petroleum Engineers if you would rather devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Chemical Engineer and Petroleum Engineers. 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

Petroleum Engineers

National median pay (2025)
$144,910
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
Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,000
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (18,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Petroleum Engineers brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Chemical Engineer has the edge on projected growth

Chemical Engineer is at 4.7% projected growth, compared with 2% projected growth for Petroleum Engineers.

2

Petroleum Engineers has the edge on median pay

Petroleum Engineers is at $144,910, compared with $125,040 for Chemical Engineer.

3

Chemical Engineer has the edge on annual openings

Chemical Engineer is at 1,100 annual openings, compared with 1,000 annual openings for Petroleum Engineers.

54.5/ 100

Chemical Engineer

vs
48.2/ 100

Petroleum Engineers

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 Petroleum Engineers

DimensionChemical EngineerPetroleum Engineers
Median pay (2025)$125,040$144,910
Pay percentile90.7 percentile94.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)4.7%2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)1,1001,000
2025 employment21,90018,500
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 Petroleum Engineers 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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Petroleum Engineers vs Computer Hardware Engineer

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

Petroleum Engineers
$144,910 · 2% growth
Computer Hardware Engineer
$161,740 · 9.1% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.