Chemical Engineeringat Tennessee Technological University
Graduates earn $60,300/yr in their first year — about 17.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $817K; scenarios range from $711K to $852K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Tennessee Technological University
Starting salaries of $60,300/yr fall 17% below the $72,288 national median for Chemical Engineering. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The 20.3x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $13,500 in median debt against $60,300 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
At #95 out of 158 programs, Tennessee Technological University's financial outcomes for Chemical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $60,300 to $86,320 shows 43% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Tennessee Technological University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Chemical Engineering
How Tennessee Technological University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Tennessee Technological University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Tennessee Technological University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University
How does Tennessee Technological University's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 69/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Tennessee Technological University trails the majority of Chemical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Chemical Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Chemical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 48% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why are Chemical Engineering earnings lower at Tennessee Technological University?
Lower starting pay at Tennessee Technological University may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.