Britney
Can someone offer me insights of chemical engineering?
I'm still debating between the fields of mechanical and chemical engineering. I wasn't quite familiar with chemical engineering, but I feel like it is a very interesting field.
I have a ton of questions about chemical and mechanical engineering that would really help me be more insightful of my choice:
How is the rigor of the courses in college?
How is the pay?
How are the personalities of the people in the field (both college & career) ?
Should I go up to my bachelor's degree or is master?
Is the degree worth it?
#engineering #mechanical-engineering #chemical-engineering #career-details #financial-planning
4 answers
Luis "Lou" Herrera
Luis "Lou"’s Answer
There is a lot of similarities between Mechanical and Chemical engineering. ChemE actually derived from ME do to the need to address the specialized knowledge in thermal processes and fluids, and material transfer.
You can find ME's and ChmE's in the same industries, but their focus will be different. Food, plastics and petrochemical are prime industries for both, but an ME would tend to focus on the equipment, whereas a ChmE would focus on the processes.
A master's will boost your income (and your technical understanding of the field), but you don't have to have one to make a good living.
Course-wise, I heard ChmE is much harder (a fact that seems to be substantiated by their higher starting salary than ME's), but if you have a mind for Chemistry, it shouldn't feel harder.
Bottom line, it is up to you and what you like: if you are in a Top Fuel drag racing team and care more about the engine and the suspension, go for ME. If you care more about the fuel formulation or the tire composition, go for ChmE.
... and if you only care about the paint job, go for graphic design :-)
Jayavignesh Arivalagan
Jayavignesh’s Answer
Course rigor is medium to difficult for both degrees depending on whether the school you choose has a history of excellence in one field versus the other. You can judge yourself by comparing curriculum between the majors at the schools you are interested in. If you can afford the time and money, go for the Master's degree, it will be hedge against bad times. I don't think it is necessary yet in the US but it's an investment worth considering.
Pay is dependent on industry and size of the company. Last I checked the average starting salary for for both fields hovered around $65K, but with mechanical engineering having a much broader applicability the variability in salary is greater. Broad usefulness is also a strength, don't forget that part of the equation.
Personalities vary widely from person to person regardless of field, I wouldn't put too much stock in any broad brush descriptions of people in the engineering fields.
Ultimately, only you can say what is "worth it" to you. As a whole, engineering can provide a decent standard of living. Not every engineer is going to be living in the lap of luxury and if you aren't smart about your money you will face hardships. Go into engineering because you enjoy problem solving, are curious about many things, patient, and can laugh when things are stressful.
Simon Robson
Simon’s Answer
God luck.
Spruce Cox
Spruce’s Answer
You have good answers already, so I’ll just add my two cents on a few points. The definitive answer must be what you want to do. If you’re enjoying what you’re doing, you’ll tend to do better at it, and you’ll find yourself with a smile on your face which helps everybody around you do better as well. Can’t emphasize this enough.
I think that in general ME has a wider range of applications than CE so it will probably give you more opportunities. Another factor is what industry you might be interested in and perhaps where you’d like to live. The oil and gas industry for example is big in Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska, and in places around the world, and in that industry CE’s often make more. Aerospace in LA, Seattle, St. Louis and elsewhere usually have more opportunities for ME’s.
One other thought is that there is a fast-growing industry integrating life science with hard science. A lot of research is going into new materials, electronic components, neural networks and other objects made from organic matter, like growing circuit cards, etc. In addition, the field of bioengineering focuses more on developing artificial human body parts and improving medical processes. These are great opportunities for ME’S, CE’s, or both. If your interests run this way, ask your counselors but I recommend a solid undergrad degree in one and a Masters in the other. Good luck.