Chemical Engineeringat University of California-Berkeley
Graduates earn $81,553/yr in their first year — about 13.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,162K; scenarios range from $965K to $1,235K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UC Berkeley
Your outcomes here reflect the program's unparalleled academic rigor and its strategic location within the Bay Area's innovation hub. Graduates benefit from Berkeley's global reputation and its strong ties to leading companies in biotech, advanced materials, semiconductors, and clean energy. You'll find alumni driving process optimization at cutting-edge startups, contributing to R&D in established firms, and even transitioning into data science or consulting roles that value your analytical problem-solving skills. The high AI risk indicated highlights how the field is evolving; your work will increasingly involve designing and managing automated systems and leveraging artificial intelligence for new material discovery or process control. To truly thrive, focus on internships that expose you to emerging technologies and interdisciplinary projects, ensuring your skills remain at the forefront of this dynamic industry.
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 UC Berkeley'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 UC Berkeley stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UC Berkeley
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Berkeley, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at University of California-Berkeley?
This program scores 75/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Chemical Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.
Will AI replace Chemical Engineering careers?
With 48% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $964,695 in decade earnings vs $1,234,864 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.