What You Will Do as a Molecular Engineer

Imagine a small computer that is able to move around the body and locate and remove cancerous cells before they have a chance to spread. What does it mean to have the Library of Congress in a box so small that it could fit in a sugar cube?

According to the United States National Science Foundation, one of the major problems facing our future is the rapid speed of scientific advancement. Welcome to the world of molecular engineering which involves the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale.

Work vacancies are relatively rare in the molecular engineering field. However, there are some areas within the profession where jobs are hard to find.

Molecular Engineering Job Opportunities

Molecular engineers can be found in nearly all industries, with the pharmaceutical industry being only one of them. Since “biotechnology” represents a “general purpose technology,” it has the potential to affect virtually every field of society. Molecular engineering can produce robust, smart goods that are applicable to healthcare, transportation and agriculture industries. This makes it possible to work in these fields.

Future of biomedical engineering

Molecular engineering is a potential future field, and career opportunities are promising. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that biomedical engineering positions are available in the United States. Nanotechnology is controversial because it poses many of the same concerns as other emerging technologies: what will it do to the world, and what will it do to us?

Molecular Engineering Colleges

These schools offer degrees in various disciplines such as chemical engineering and environmental and bio-molecular engineering at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Since it is a new field, degree programs focused exclusively on molecular engineering are also considered special track programs that require a large amount of additional education.

Richard Finche, PhD, a researcher and author whose work focuses on advanced nanotechnologies urges students interested in joining the field to extend their studies to include fundamental courses in mathematics, mechanics, chemistry, thermodynamics and electromagnetics in order to fully understand the underlying concepts. There is a lot to gain from working in a profession in molecular engineering.

Salary Opportunities

Chemical engineers and biomedical engineers are members of the broader field of engineering. According to the United States, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for biomedical engineers is $85,620, while chemical engineers earn $98,340. Salaries can vary depending on specialization, place, years of experience and a multitude of other factors. National jobs forecasts do not reflect the local and/or short-term economic or work conditions and do not guarantee real job growth.