- In its 2009 study on chemical engineer salaries, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics determined the countrywide average for the field to be $91,670 per year. The state of Tennessee averaged a close, but slightly lower, annual median wage for its chemical engineers at $89,170 or $2,590 lower per year.
- Not all of Tennessee's 790 chemical engineers, as of May 2009, earned as close to their colleagues across the country. Tennessee's lowest bracket of earners averaged salaries of $69,620 in the state's 10th percentile. The highest earners, in the 90th percentile, received salaries of $125,790 per year.
- The first step on the path toward earning a salary as a chemical engineer in Tennessee is a bachelor's program in general engineering or in chemical engineering. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology accredits four in-state schools, including the University of Tennessee (both at Chattanooga and Knoxville), Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Technological University and Christian Brothers University. Master's degrees are available for students who wish to take their education further.
- Employment in the chemical engineering field is expected to decline 2 percent and result in a loss of 600 jobs through 2018, according to the BLS. Prospective Tennessee chemical engineers should focus on the areas of research in biotechnology and nanotechnology, along with service-provider industries, for the best opportunities to secure salaries.
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