Quick answer: The Cleveland metro employs about 240 chemical engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state engineering licensing board.
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Chemical engineering uses the standard Professional Engineer framework the state boards administer: an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience and the PE exam. Most chemical engineers work inside operating companies under what is commonly called the industrial exemption and never license, so ABET accreditation matters more than the PE for most careers in this discipline.
See the Ohio licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 220 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Chemical Engineers in the Cleveland area earn a median $108,350 per year, below the national median of $125,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Chemical Engineering Pay in Cleveland, OH
Metric
Cleveland metro
Ohio
National
Median annual wage
$108,350
$111,200
$125,040
10th percentile
$77,820
$76,940
$79,420
25th percentile
$97,700
$96,170
$97,820
75th percentile
$126,260
$135,700
$157,190
90th percentile
$155,310
$169,600
$182,880
Employment
240
1,030
21,070
Location quotient
1.69
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Cleveland, OH metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Cleveland median of $108,350 is below the national median of $125,040, and below the Ohio statewide median of $111,200 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.69 means chemical engineers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Chemical engineering employment concentrates around refining, chemical and pharmaceutical corridors rather than following population.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do chemical engineers make in Cleveland?
The median annual wage for chemical engineers in the Cleveland, OH metro area is $108,350, below the national median of $125,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many chemical engineers work in the Cleveland area?
The Cleveland, OH metro area employs about 240 chemical engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do chemical engineers in Cleveland need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Chemical engineering uses the standard Professional Engineer framework the state boards administer: an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience and the PE exam. Most chemical engineers work inside operating companies under what is commonly called the industrial exemption and never license, so ABET accreditation matters more than the PE for most careers in this discipline. Confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Can I study chemical engineering online from Cleveland?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
Is Cleveland a better market than the rest of Ohio?
The Cleveland metro median is $108,350 against a statewide median of $111,200 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
