Chemical Engineer - How to become a Chemical Engineer

Chemical Engineer is responsible for the design & maintenance of chemical plants and the development of chemical processes for converting raw materials or chemicals into different valuable forms. He combines his knowledge of Chemistry and Engineering for the production of chemicals and related by-products. This branch of engineering covers areas from biotechnology and nanotechnology to mineral processing. It covers various fields of chemical technology in mineral based industries, petrochemical plants, synthetic fibres, petroleum refining plants to name a few of them.

Relatively a new discipline of engineering, this branch of chemical engineering has shown a swift expansion during last half a century. This has led to an increase in the importance of the Chemical engineer as a career. 

They design equipment and operate chemical plants as well as determine the problems and find the best methods of production. Candidates looking for a chemical engineer as a career should be able to work for long hours with a lot of patience and commitment.

Chemical Engineer Eligibility

Aspiring candidates need to have a Diploma or Degree in Chemical Engineering to become a Chemical Engineer.

Chemical Engineer Required Skills

• Chemical Engineers should have good maths and science skills, particularly chemistry; good problem-solving and analytical skills and planning and organisational ability.
• They also possess excellent IT skills; the ability to manage projects, budgets and people; good spoken and written communication skills.
• They have the ability to work as part of a team and a clear understanding of the commercial application of science.
• They should possess supervisory skills and experience using chemical laboratory equipment.

How to become a Chemical Engineer?

There are two ways that an aspiring candidate can follow to become a Chemical Engineer.f

First one is to get admission in Diploma in Chemical Engineering after clearing 10 class from a recognised board.

Step 1
After clearing 10 class the interested candidate has to appear in an entrance test conducted by the Technical Education Boards of various State Governments and selected candidates are admitted in the Diploma in Chemical Engineering course according to the rank of the candidate in the entrance exam. 

This exam is generally held in the month of May-June and consists of Objective type questions on the subject of English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Aptitude.

Step 2
After successful completion of Diploma in Chemical, Engineering candidates can either join some job as a junior engineer or can take up LEET exam to get admission in the second year of a degree in engineering course which is provided by some of the regional engineering colleges of the state.

As a second option, the Chemical Engineering aspirant can opt for 10+2 followed by the admission in the Chemical Engineer College.

Step 1
After clearing 12 class from a recognised board the aspiring candidates need to take Engineering Entrance Exams like Joint Entrance Exam of AEEE to get admission in BE (Chemical Engineering) in some of the reputed engineering colleges of India like Indian Institute of Technology and Punjab Univerisity etc.

Step 2
After successful completion of a BE Chemical Engineering course, the chemical engineer is ready to join Government, Semi Government or Privates sector as an Assistant Engineer. 

The graduate Chemical Engineer who is interested in the academics and research work can opt of higher qualification as ME (Chemical Engineering) followed PhD in Chemical Engineering or related fields.

Chemical Engineer Job Description

Chemical Engineer is responsible for designing and operating chemical plants and improves methods of production. This makes his job all the more important. Besides this chemical engineers are responsible for the availability of modern high-quality materials that are essential for running an industrial economy.

Chemical Engineer Career Prospects

The job prospects and career options of a chemical engineer are vast and different. This can vary from petroleum and petrochemicals to food, materials, speciality chemicals, plastics, power production, environmental control, waste management and biotechnology. They can also find jobs in areas such as processing, operations or manufacturing, research and development, design and construction, finance and teaching. 

In the public sector, chemical engineers are employed to solve environmental problems such as waste and water treatment, environmental regulations and recycling; on energy sectors such as energy conservation and research on alternate energy sources and health-related research projects, defence establishments and atomic power plants.

They can also get employment in service industries such as scientific research and development services, particularly in energy and the developing fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology.

Chemical Engineer Salary

Graduate Chemical engineer in the private sector can draw Rs.25,000 to Rs.30,000 as the starting average salary per month. Where as in public sector organisation the chemical engineers are well compensated for their little lesser salary by other perks and allowances in addition to government accommodation, medical expenses as well as free/concessional travelling passes for their immediate family members and dependants.