Side-by-side distribution
Chemical Engineer
$110,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 37.2%
- Live roles
- 129
Petroleum Engineer
$98,200
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 10%
- Live roles
- 40
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Chemical Process Engineer
Staff Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) Engineer
Mechanical Engineer IV - Wet Chemical Tool
Chemical/Mechanical Engineer
Senior Chemical Propulsion Engineer
Senior Chemical Engineer – Process Development
Chemical Process Engineer
Bulk Chemical Delivery Engineer
Project Engineer (CAPITAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT) (CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING)
Chemical Propulsion Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Barr Engineering
|
$78,000 | 8 |
Mitsubishi Chemical Group
|
$108,019 | 6 |
KLA
|
$86,809 | 5 |
|
Intel
|
$162,160 | 2 |
|
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$155,000 | 2 |
|
Applied Materials
|
$153,000 | 2 |
Samsung
|
$110,500 | 2 |
|
Inversion
|
$401,440 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Chevron
|
$90,608 | 2 |
Ovintiv
|
$200,000 | 1 |
Residential Home Health and Hospice
|
$88,400 | 1 |
Chemical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $143,000 | 3 |
Chemical Engineer vs Petroleum Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Chemical Engineer is $110,000 per year (typically $97,100–$131,250), versus $98,200 for Petroleum Engineer ($84,604–$131,000). That puts Chemical Engineer about 12% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Chemical Engineer and Petroleum Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.