Chemical Engineeringat Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Graduates earn $82,382/yr in their first year — about 14.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $885K; scenarios range from $760K to $927K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Chemical Engineering graduates start at $82,382/yr — above the $72,288 national average, though not by a wide margin.
The 14.3x 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 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $24,875 in median debt clears quickly against $82,382 in annual earnings.
Ranked #54 out of 158 programs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Chemical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $82,382 to $99,194 shows 20% 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 Virginia Tech'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 Virginia Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Virginia Tech
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Virginia Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech
How does Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Chemical Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
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.