Career comparison
Chemical Engineer vs. Materials Engineer
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Chemical engineers earn more at the median ($125,040 vs. $112,860), while chemical engineers usually get to work faster (4-year engineering degree of training). Chemical engineers design processes that turn raw materials into fuels, medicines, food and chemicals. Materials engineers develop and test metals, plastics, ceramics and composites.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Chemical Engineer | Materials Engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $125,040 ($60.12/hr) | $112,860 ($54.26/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $79,420 – $182,880 | $72,300 – $175,720 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +4.7% (about as fast as average) | +7.5% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 1,100 | 1,300 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4-year engineering degree | 4-year engineering degree |
| Key credential | PE license | PE license |
| Work setting | Chemical engineers work in plants, labs and offices.. | Materials engineers work in labs, plants and offices.. |
What each job does
Chemical Engineer
- Design processes
- Improve yields
- Troubleshoot equipment
- Run process safety reviews
- Model processes
Materials Engineer
- Select materials
- Test properties
- Investigate failures
- Develop new materials
- Improve processes
How they’re similar
Both careers involve high-pay, problem-solving, and working with information. Both are part of the science, engineering & lab field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose chemical engineer if…
- I like chemistry and math
- I like big processes
- I like plant work
Choose materials engineer if…
- I like chemistry and physics
- I like lab testing
- I like solving failures
Still torn? Take the Chemical Engineer fit quiz and the Materials Engineer fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, chemical engineer or materials engineer?
Chemical Engineers earn more at the median: $125,040 versus $112,860 for materials engineers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Chemical Engineers typically train faster (4-year engineering degree) than materials engineers (4-year engineering degree).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects materials engineers to grow +7.5% from 2025–35, compared with +4.7% for chemical engineers.