Job prospects Chemical Engineer in Ontario

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Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "chemical engineer" in Ontario or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Ontario

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Chemical engineers (NOC 21320) in Ontario for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

What Types of Employers Are Out There

• Employed in a variety of industries but primarily in manufacturing, mainly for chemical producers, including pharmaceutical and medicine, and petrochemical production
• Professional, scientific and technical services industry, such as testing laboratories and research and development

What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment

• Steady demand expected as chemical goods are used for a variety of purposes, including in construction and manufacturing
• Expansions in the large petrochemical and industrial chemical base, particularly in southwestern Ontario
• Public and private sector investments in strengthening the biomanufacturing sector, including pharmaceutical production

What Skills Do I Need To Succeed

• Generally, 'engineering' is a regulated occupation in Ontario. Individuals must be licensed by Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) to practise 'professional' engineering in the province
• An unlicensed engineering graduate can carry out work in the occupation, however, a licensed engineer must take responsibility and sign off on the job

What Other Information Will I find Helpful

• The Sarnia region has a strong cluster of petrochemical operations
• The Toronto area is a hub for pharmaceutical and related research activities
• In general, Bridging Programs are available to assist internationally trained professionals in various fields enter the labour market more quickly in the province.

Here are some key facts about Chemical engineers in Ontario:

• Approximately 2,950 people work in this occupation.
• Chemical engineers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 24%
  • Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 20%
  • Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 7%
• 77% of chemical engineers work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• 7% of chemical engineers are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 68% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 32% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: n/a
  • high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 57% compared to 24% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 39% compared to 13% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Ontario by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology