Chemical engineering is known as a very high paying job, and has one of the highest paying degrees for entry level jobs, with even higher payscales for experienced chemical engineers.

Here's a look at typical salary ranges for chemical engineers.

Chemical engineers can earn good salaries straight out of school, but years of experience or higher education can double the salary rate.

• Chemical Engineer < 1 Year Experience: $51,710 - $66,286
• Chemical Engineer with 1-4 Years Experience: $56,206 - $70,414
• Chemical Engineer with 5-9 Years Experience: $64,618 - $84,199
• Chemical Engineer with 10-19 Years Experience: $74,546 - $101,299
• Chemical Engineer with More than 20 Years Experience: $83,304 - $126,418

Salary survey based on experience is from PayScale.com.

According to the US Department of Labor (2008), the median salary for chemical engineering was $78,860. The middle 50% of chemical engineers had salaries between $67,420 and $105,000.

The UK's Institution of Chemical Engineers (2006) reported the average starting salary for chemical engineering graduates was £24,000, with an average salary for all chemical engineers of about £53,000.

Data for South Africa is unavailable, but it should be more or less the same.