Science is a bit of a mystery to some, but chemists and chemical engineers are both well placed to delve into its mysteries. While the two professions are similar, there are very distinct differences to make note of in choosing a career path.
What is a chemist?
Chemists are one hundred percent scientists. They perform experiments, discover new ways to make elements interact, solve molecular problems, and design new, better products with the acquired knowledge. Most often, they work in laboratories with a host of fancy equipment that allows them to examine the tiniest particles of matter, test theories, and take measurements.
While there are many jobs available to chemists with only a bachelor’s degree, some higher tier research jobs require masters and doctorate degrees. The rate of job growth is considerably slower than most professions, at only about 6%. The pay grade can vary widely, depending on a chemist’s level of education, specialties, and place of employment. It might start as low as about $30,000 a year, but the median pay for all types of chemists is around $70,000.
What is a chemical engineer?
Chemical engineers also work with chemicals, but they combine other areas of science like physics and biology, along with more math than chemists tend to (which is not to say chemists don’t utilize all of those disciplines). Their job is to create better, more efficient, usable products from the ideas and discoveries of chemists to allow private sectors and the public access to new substances. They often spend their time on the manufacturing end of chemical creation.
Chemical engineering is also manageable with only a bachelor’s degree, although many employers are more predisposed to hire individuals with previous experience. The growth rate for chemical engineers is even smaller than that of chemists, at only 4%. However, the pay is higher, with a median of around $94,000 a year.
What’s the difference?
While both professions require a thorough understanding and practicing knowledge of the premises of chemistry, chemists focus more on creating new chemical processes and substances, while chemical engineers turn those new things into useful products, which they then manufacture. Both fields offer a wide array of job opportunities within the discipline, but it would seem chemists have wider options, as chemical engineering is a more pointed course of study, despite the vast amount of fields it encompasses within it. Chemists and chemical engineers can both be found in laboratories, offices, and in the field, but chemical engineers are often installed in factories or plants. One of the more interesting differences in the two is that chemists are more widely understood, while chemical engineering is a less recognized profession.
