MOLECULAR ENGINEERING DEGREES AND CAREERS

What You'll Do

molecular engineering degree professional studying dna

Imagine a tiny device that pilots through the body and identifies and blots out small clusters of cancer cells before they can spread. What if the entire Library of Congress could be contained in a box the size of a sugar cube?

According to the U.S. National Science Foundation, these types of extraordinary accomplishments are fast becoming a part of our reality. Welcome to the world of molecular engineering—sometimes called nanotechnology or molecular manufacturing—which involves the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale.

Job Opportunities

Molecular engineers work in virtually every industry, including pharmaceutical research, materials science, robotics, mechanical engineering and biotechnology. Because molecular engineering is considered a "general-purpose technology," it has the potential to impact almost all industries and areas of society. Molecular engineering will create durable, smart products for the medical, transportation and agriculture industries, opening doors to careers in these, and other, in-demand fields.

The Future of Molecular Engineering

The future of molecular engineering is limitless, and career prospects are promising. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job opportunities are excellent in certain related fields, such as biomedical engineering. However there is significant debate on the implications of nanotechnology because it raises the same issues as any new technology: what is its impact upon the environment, and what are the prospects for global disaster?

Schools & Degrees

Colleges and universities across the U.S. offer degree programs in related fields of engineering, such as chemical engineering, environmental and bio-molecular engineering at the bachelor's, masters and doctoral level. Because it is an emerging field, degree programs focusing entirely on molecular engineering are often considered special track programs and are only offered in tandem with other engineering degree programs.

K. Eric Drexler, PhD, a researcher and author whose work focuses on advanced nanotechnologies, advises students interested in entering the field to broaden their studies to include fundamental courses in mathematics, mechanics, chemistry, thermodynamics and electromagnetics in order to fully
thrive in a career in molecular engineering.

Salaries

Molecular engineers are part of the larger fields of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2021 Occupational Employment Statistics, the median national annual salary for biomedical engineers is $97,410, while chemical engineers earn $105,550. Actual salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors. National long-term projections of employment growth may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth.

_{Sources: Metamodern.com; crnano.org/whatis.htm}

Did You Know?

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman introduced the idea of molecular engineering in his 1959 talk, "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom." He predicted it would, in time, be possible to manipulate atoms and molecules and create nano-scale machines.
In his 1986 book, "Engines of Creation," K. Eric Drexler praised nanotechnology, saying it can help life "spread beyond earth, it can let our minds renew and remake our bodies." But he also warned about the possible perils that accompany this type of technology. Drexler called it "gray goo," a fusion of nanobots capable of reproducing autonomously that would devour everything in the universe in order to survive.