Salaries largely depend on one’s academic proficiency as well as on the reputation of the college one is from. For example, at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, pay packages for fresh engineers are over R4 lakh per annum and that of IIT Bombay BTechs joining a PSU or a good private company is R5 lakh - R8 lakh per annum. The average salary for beginners in India is R1.5
lakh - R4 lakh per annum. In a career span of about 35 years, one can also rise up to become a CEO or start his/her own firm (manufacturing or supporting)

A chemical engineer works in shifts at least for the first five years of his career. If one joins design or research organisations, the role will be entirely different. The average morning shift of an operations officer at an oil refinery is as follows:
7.45am: Check in 8am: Put on boiler suit, protective shoes, gloves and helmet. Check that all the technicians are manning the respective positions in the plant
8.15am: Meeting with the head to discuss tasks and jobs to be done. Allocate work to people in the different teams
8.45am: Have breakfast in the office
9.15am: Go for a round of the plant to ensure everything is functioning normally
10.30am: Return to office. Follow up on the tasks
12.30pm: Lunch
1pm: Go to the control room to monitor operations of the plant
2.30pm: Ensure that the work during the shift is done
3pm: Enter all tasks, both completed and continuing, in the log book
3.30pm: Make a list of operators for the next shift. Hand over charge to the officer in the evening shift. Brief him about the remaining tasks and changes made on the control panel. Change into everyday clothes
4pm: Call it a day

• Interest in physics, chemistry, maths (and even biology)
• Should enjoy working with chemicals, machinery and software tools
• Analytical skills
• Innovative approach 

• Institute of Chemical Technology (formerly University Department of Chemical Technology) 
• IITs Bombay, Kanpur, Madras, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Delhi, Guwahati and others 
• National Institutes of Technology, Warangal, Surathkal
• Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Kolkata
• Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai