How valuable is a BS in BME vs. CheE?

vanimelde
Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:11:29 +0000

The percent change in chemical engineering positions over the next decade is 6% versus 62% for BME, the latter largely a product of the aging population and the currently-small number of biomedical engineers (15,000 BME v. 30,000 ChE).

The sources also include the difference in median pay: as of May 2010, chemical engineers make around $90,000, roughly $10,000 more than the median of biomedical engineers. The sources do not predict pay in the coming decade. In addition, note that the sources do not state the median level of education, which is a question others on this forum may be better able to address.

Specifically answering your question: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/617286-biomedical-vs-chemical-engineering.html, http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/1379072-cheme-biomedical-minor-just-bme.html, and/or http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/260597-bme-cheme.html. You may find other, better threads via various search functions, including google: [Let me google that for you](LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You). The prevailing view that have I encountered in these threads is that biomedical engineering is a degree best left for graduate studies owing to its perceived specialization and “newness.”

Also, a minor aside: “invaluable” means “very useful,” but I think you meant “not valuable.” :)

Sources: [Chemical Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/chemical-engineers.htm#tab-6) and [Biomedical Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/biomedical-engineers.htm#tab-6)