Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Chemical Engineer
What chemical engineers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a chemical engineer?
Review overnight plant data. From there, the day usually includes design processes, improve yields, and troubleshoot equipment. Full time, sometimes on call for plant issues.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a chemical engineer working full time.
- Review overnight plant data.
- Walk the unit with operators.
- Run a process simulation.
- Lead a HAZOP session.
- Troubleshoot a heat exchanger.
- Plan a capital project.
- Write a report.
Where chemical engineers work
Chemical engineers work in plants, labs and offices.
Hours and schedule
Full time, sometimes on call for plant issues.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Design processes
- Improve yields
- Troubleshoot equipment
- Run process safety reviews
- Model processes
- Support operations
- Reduce emissions
Tools you’ll use every day
- Aspen HYSYS
- MATLAB
- Excel
- P&IDs
- DCS data historians
- Python
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- High pay
- Many industries
- Problem-solving
- Plant and office mix
What’s hard
- Plant hazards
- On-call duty
- Remote plant locations
- Industry cycles
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I like chemistry and math
- I like big processes
- I like plant work
- I care about safety
- I want high pay
- I solve problems
Not sure? Take the free Chemical Engineer fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow PSM
- Run HAZOPs
- Wear plant PPE
- Follow management of change