Chemical Engineers
Architecture and Engineering Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 17-2041.00
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 technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.35
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 11 hidden tasks13 rated tasks · 11 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (84.6%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.17-2041.00 | 0.0018100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.O*NET Task ID 3557 | 1.0 |
Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.O*NET Task ID 3552 | 0.5 |
Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.O*NET Task ID 3553 | 0.5 |
Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.O*NET Task ID 3554 | 0.5 |
Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.O*NET Task ID 3558 | 0.5 |
Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.O*NET Task ID 3559 | 0.5 |
Design and plan layout of equipment.O*NET Task ID 3560 | 0.5 |
Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.O*NET Task ID 18471 | 0.5 |
Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.O*NET Task ID 18472 | 0.5 |
Perform tests and monitor performance of processes throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables such as temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure.O*NET Task ID 18473 | 0.5 |
Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.O*NET Task ID 20955 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (14)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions. | Core |
| Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying. | Core |
| Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management. | Core |
| Direct activities of workers who operate or are engaged in constructing and improving absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment. | Core |
| Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and test proposed processes in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant. | Core |
| Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes. | Core |
| Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes. | Core |
| Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations. | Core |
| Design and plan layout of equipment. | Core |
| Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes. | Core |
| Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations. | Core |
| Perform tests and monitor performance of processes throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables such as temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure. | Core |
| Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments. | Core |
| Develop computer models of chemical processes. | Core |
0.07/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and test proposed processes in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 22K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 23K
- Change (2025–35)
- +4.7%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $125,040
- Typical education needed for entry
- Bachelor's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23211 | 석유화학 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23212 | 고무‧플라스틱 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23213 | 농약‧비료 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23214 | 도료제품 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23215 | 화장품‧비누제품 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23219 | 그 외 화학공학 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23512 | 플랜트공학 기술자 및 연구원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 23923 | 염색 개발 공학 기술자 및 연구원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2145Chemical Engineers
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- chemical engineerESCO 2145.1Same scope
Chemical engineers design and develop large-scale chemical and physical production processes and are involved in the entire industrial process required for transforming raw materials into products.
- biochemical engineerESCO 2145.1.1This occupation is broader
Biochemical engineers research on the field of life science striving for new discoveries. They convert those findings into chemical solutions that can improve the wellbeing of society such as vaccines, tissue repair, crops improvement and green technologies advances such as cleaner fuels from natural resources.
- chemical engineering technicianESCO 3116.1Overlapping, not the same
Chemical engineering technicians transform raw materials in order to develop and test chemical products. They also work on improving chemical plant operations and processes.
- chemistESCO 2113.1Overlapping, not the same
Chemists perform laboratory research by testing and analysing the chemical structure of substances.They translate the research results into industrial production processes which are further used in the development or improvement of products. Chemists are also testing the quality of the manufactured products and their environmental impact.
- synthetic materials engineerESCO 2145.2Overlapping, not the same
Synthetic materials engineers develop new synthetic materials processes or improve existing ones. They design and construct installations and machines for the production of synthetic materials and examine samples of raw materials in order to ensure quality.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H2714 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure de raffinerie | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| H1206 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure R&D en industrie | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H1402 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure méthodes et process | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H2502 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure de production | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2435 | Ingenieros químicos | This occupation is broader |
| 2465 | Ingenieros técnicos químicos | This occupation is broader |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 41314 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Same scope |
| 22184 | Berufe in der Kunststoff- und Kautschukherstellung und -verarbeitung (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 22204 | Berufe in der Farb- und Lacktechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 23114 | Berufe in der Papierherstellung - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 24304 | Berufe in der Metalloberflächenbehandlung (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29104 | Berufe in der Getränkeherstellung (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29114 | Brauer/innen und Mälzer/innen - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29134 | Brenner/innen und Destillateure/Destillateurinnen - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29284 | Berufe in der Lebensmittelherstellung (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 34344 | Berufe im Anlagen-, Behälter- und Apparatebau - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 41313 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 41324 | Berufe im chemisch-technischen Laboratorium - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 077 | 化学技術者（開発） | Overlapping, not the same |
| 087 | 化学技術者（開発を除く） | Overlapping, not the same |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources