How to become a chemical engineer
Official title: Chemical engineer (excluding petroleum and petrochemical)
Also called: Biochemical engineer, Biofuel engineer, Pharmaceutical engineer, Plastics engineer, Polymer engineer, Pulp and paper engineer, Pyrotechnics chemical engineer, Gas Transmission and Distribution Department Manager, Network Development Engineer, Network Development Manager, Network Development Principal Engineer, Network Planning and Strategy Engineer
Chemical engineer (excluding petroleum and petrochemical) studies, develops and advises on processes for producing on a commercial scale the chemical or physical transformation of substances, as in the manufacture of chemicals, metals, food products and synthetic materials. He/she designs and develops chemical manufacturing processes and specifies the sequence of physical transformation operations such as heating, mixing, distilling, filtering and chemical processing such as hydrolysis, oxidation, fermentation, electrolysis and polymerisation. He/she develops and implements quality control procedures to inspect and test raw materials and products to ensure compliance with specifications and safety standards.
Main tasks
- Conducting research and advising on, and developing commercial-scale chemical processes to refine crude oil and other liquids or gases, and to produce substances and items such as petroleum derivatives, explosives, food and drink products, medicines or synthetic materials
- Specifying chemical production methods, materials and quality standards and ensuring that they conform to specifications
- Establishing control standards and procedures to ensure safety and efficiency of chemical production operations and safety of workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to on-going chemical reactions
- Designing chemical plant equipment and devising processes for manufacturing chemicals and products
- Performing tests throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables, including temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure
- Developing safety procedures to be employed
- Preparing estimates of production costs and production progress reports for management
- Performing laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and testing proposed processes in small scale operations such as a pilot plant
Ways in
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 4 universities in Singapore
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a chemical engineer?
Ways in include: Engineering degrees.
Will AI change the work of a chemical engineer?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026