OneTwo Resume

Chemical Engineer resume skills and keywords

In 41 Chemical Engineer job postings from 28 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (71 %), Problem Solving (63 %), Leadership (34 %), Manufacturing Processes (34 %) and Thermodynamics (29 %). Of the top 40 skills, 29 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 11 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Chemical Engineer job postings

Skills requested in 41 Chemical Engineer job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Communication71 %Soft skill
Problem Solving63 %Soft skill
Leadership34 %Soft skill
Manufacturing Processes34 %Hard skill
Thermodynamics29 %Hard skill
Attention to detail29 %Soft skill
Mentoring27 %Soft skill
Accountability27 %Soft skill
Collaboration27 %Soft skill
PPE24 %Hard skill
Process improvement24 %Hard skill
Continuous improvement22 %Hard skill
Troubleshooting22 %Hard skill
Chemical Handling17 %Hard skill
Project Management17 %Hard skill
Intrusion Detection Systems17 %Hard skill
Standard operating procedures17 %Hard skill
Decision making17 %Soft skill
Commissioning15 %Hard skill
Research and Development15 %Hard skill
Technical Support15 %Hard skill
OSHA15 %Certification
Control systems15 %Hard skill
Hand tools15 %Tool
Emerging Technologies15 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills12 %Soft skill
Microsoft Office12 %Tool
Microsoft Excel12 %Tool
Analytical skills12 %Soft skill
Waste Management10 %Hard skill
Recycling10 %Hard skill
Environmental Compliance10 %Hard skill
Process Optimization10 %Hard skill
Formulation10 %Hard skill
Ladders10 %Hard skill
Quality assurance10 %Hard skill
Technical Documentation10 %Hard skill
Product development10 %Hard skill
Customer service7 %Soft skill
Microsoft Outlook7 %Tool

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (24)

Soft skills (11)

Tools and software (4)

Certifications and licenses (1)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these chemical engineer postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

materials science 34 %unit operation 32 %engineering principles 32 %self driven 24 %instrumentation diagrams 20 %personal protective 20 %respirator fit test 20 %health savings 20 %clean shaven 20 %additional duty 20 %savings account 20 %develop simple 17 %plant equipment 17 %national security 17 %engineering assignments 17 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Chemical Engineer resume example. Then prepare for the Chemical Engineer interview questions that test them.

Build a chemical engineer resume with these skills

Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.

Start Building My ResumeScan a job posting

Chemical Engineer resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Chemical Engineer resume?

In 41 Chemical Engineer job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Communication (71 %), Problem Solving (63 %), Leadership (34 %), Manufacturing Processes (34 %) and Thermodynamics (29 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Chemical Engineer resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 11 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (71 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Chemical Engineer postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were OSHA (15 %), Hand tools (15 %), Microsoft Office (12 %), Microsoft Excel (12 %) and Microsoft Outlook (7 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 41 public Chemical Engineer job postings at 28 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (8), Lever (2), Ashby (1) and other public job postings (30). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 41. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 41 public job postings for chemical engineer roles (titles such as Chemical Engineer, Chemical Engineer L1, Chemical Engineer L2 and Lead Chemical Engineer) at 28 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards and the open web: Greenhouse 8, Lever 2, Ashby 1 and other public job postings 30. Employers in the sample include CycloKinetics, Redwood Materials, SK hynix America, SpaceX, Voyager Technologies, Inc. and Standard Nuclear, Inc.. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 41. Updated quarterly. Download the data: chemical-engineer-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.