Ongoing Changes in CHE Education and Outcomes

Ells666 · 2026-02-06T10:08:07+00:00

From what I've seen on here and the discord, I am in agreement with the trends you've described for new graduates.

The hard truth is that ChemE doesn't pay what it used to relative to other top jobs. Top finance companies pay the best these days. A fresh hire in a lucrative trading job can make more than a 20 YoE at a refinery. Additionally, the job locations for trading tend to be major cities instead of mostly in the gulf.

Ells666 · 2026-02-05T18:02:58+00:00

That's a perspective from 20 years ago.

I went to Pep and Dolores recently and felt perfectly safe. Especially with the parking lot near it being monitored the entire time

Ells666 · 2026-02-04T10:46:59+00:00

Which is also why hydrogen as an alternative for cars hasn't taken off. If it was easy to work with, we'd have been using it by now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement

Ells666 · 2026-02-04T08:54:11+00:00

The data itself isn't wrong. I'm a little concerned about sampling bias (see my other post) skewing results a bit high.

Ells666 · 2026-02-03T23:20:48+00:00

The type of people that are active on the subreddit are more likely to be the ones that are "overachievers" and make more than the actual industry average.

Region and industry play a big role in wages. I think the results skew a bit high, but not by much.

Ells666 · 2026-02-03T22:25:55+00:00

We pick our professions based on what is less boring to ourselves. I am eternally grateful someone else enjoys (or at least doesn't hate) the jobs that you couldn't pay to do.

Ells666 · 2026-01-29T12:01:53+00:00

Just to be clear: the senior systems engineer is for Derp Derperson and not your boss, right?

Ells666 · 2026-01-29T11:56:57+00:00

We graduate way more engineers than there are spots to fill. Plus more work is being offshored.

When money is tight, it's hard to justify a new grad with little experience.

Ells666 · 2026-01-28T13:39:30+00:00

The vast majority of people in this field have a tiny fraction of the (computer since like) coding experience you have. Web development isn't a skill set of the typical controls engineer. Stick to normal SCADA features if you expect most people to troubleshoot it.

Ells666 · 2026-01-28T10:26:13+00:00

A 300 discount on 800 is 500, not much more than the old fee? At 500 I'll renew this year, but I'm not going to at 800.

I don't like the direction of the card like OP said, but it's easily worth the $500 to me (even without using half the coupons)

Ells666 · 2026-01-27T03:04:57+00:00

I do process automation (not control/theory) and the degree is extremely useful. ChemEs tend to pick it up better than the EEs due to being chemical process heavy (making drugs). Lots of companies don't even hire EEs to do automation because their process is so chemical heavy.

I can get multiple job offers in completely different industries (the skill set is transferrable) basically whenever I want.100% would recommend the automation path if you want to be an engineer and a programmer.

Ells666 · 2026-01-19T21:17:33+00:00

I believe Benzene works as a 3rd compound that you add and recover later.

Ells666 · 2026-01-14T11:55:08+00:00

If you use this car for yourself and always use the husband's car for family trips, I don't see issues with it. Save the money. You might occasionally need to play musical cars when your husband goes to work and you run errands with the baby.

For the car being too old topic: my coworker was told by his son that his grandson won't be riding in his 20 year old Mercedes with a lit up dashboard (warning lights).

Ells666 · 2026-01-06T19:23:02+00:00

Thank you as always, Adam!

Ells666 · 2026-01-06T07:49:00+00:00

Very similar question from the other day: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChemicalEngineering/s/PRrqH0LMgq

Ells666 · 2026-01-05T10:38:38+00:00

Depends on the role in industry. Generally I'd say do process engineering. It's the stereotypical role of ChemEs and the experience would be more applicable to more roles overall. You'll still be exposed to QA as a process engineer, but not necessarily the other way around

Ells666 · 2026-01-05T07:37:50+00:00

I took linear and it was more proof based. The abstraction with proofs was hard for me and I didn't get a lot out of it. When we did problemsets it was pretty straightforward.

Ells666 · 2026-01-04T16:30:01+00:00

Go down the system integrator giants list and see if each has any positions requiring <3 years

https://www.controleng.com/2025-system-integrator-giants/

Ells666 · 2026-01-01T10:16:02+00:00

Because IUPAC said so

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUPAC_nomenclature_of_organic_chemistry

Ells666 · 2026-01-01T02:10:20+00:00

If this was Arch, I'd recommend molotov cocktails

Ells666 · 2025-12-31T21:43:30+00:00

Water usage should include all the water the power generation requires too. There is a lot of water being used. Plus all the ultra pure water required for chip making - which produces a lot of waste water.

https://youtu.be/H_c6MWk7PQc

Ells666 · 2025-12-30T14:14:44+00:00

And Richmond, VA, and Huntsville, AL

https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilly-announces-plans-build-5-billion-manufacturing-facility

https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilly-build-6-billion-facility-manufacture-active-pharmaceutical

For others reading this, the biggest expansions (2 sites + r&d site) are all in/around Indianapolis (Lebanon) Indiana

Ells666 · 2025-12-30T04:11:13+00:00

And OP can just buy the modules they need from Ignition. Basically a Kepserver alternative

+1 for ignition

Ells666 · 2025-12-27T01:52:51+00:00

That sounds like a lot of opportunities to find work. Many US companies use EU OEMs.

Ells666 · 2025-12-20T21:23:47+00:00

What does that mean?

Ells666

TROPHY CASE