Hot Jobs in Engineering

With the world economy currently recovering from a crushing recession it might seem as though the job prospects for engineers would have taken a downturn as companies pull back from undertaking any large-scale projects.  While certain industries may indeed be more cautious than in the past when it comes to massive engineering efforts, there are still many areas where engineering jobs are plentiful and opportunities continue to grow.

Some of the hottest engineering jobs can be found in the green technology sector.  As energy prices continue to rise, due to diminishing reserves of fossil fuels and increased consumption around the world, the pressure to refine alternative energy processes has also grown.  Engineers who are interested in working with technologies that harness the power of the sun, the wind, and the sea to generate electricity will find no shortage of interesting jobs awaiting them – both now, and in years to come.  Hand in hand with the idea of green technology are attempts to make current transportation and energy-generating processes more efficient and less polluting.  Engineers who can adopt a fresh perspective on old methodologies should have an edge in this employment field.  Environmental engineers who can design green buildings and living spaces will additionally benefit from this ecologically-conscious trend.

New technologies require both new structures to house them and new safety policies to make sure that everyone involved will be able to stay safe.  As a result, both health and safety engineering and civil engineering jobs will continue to be hot.  The former will be required to inspect, maintain, and propose new safety standards and concepts surrounding green and other technologies which are currently being developed, while the latter will be charged with implementing those technologies in modern cityscapes, as well as incorporating them into the infrastructure that surrounds us.  Civil engineers will also be highly involved in planning new energy distribution networks, transportation revitalization, and new urban designs for accommodating growing populations.

Biomedical engineers will also see their job prospects on the upswing.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an astounding 72 percent employment growth in this field over the next ten years, fueled largely by the ageing population which will require increasing medical care and a concomitant rise in the development of new medical technologies.  In an effort to reduce costs in the medical field, biomedical engineers will be asked to come up with solutions which are not only practical, but which can also be mass produced in an inexpensive fashion.

There are a few other engineering sectors which will see growth that is related to the gradual graying of the world’s current workforce.  As greater numbers of engineers choose to retire or move into management roles, more and more openings will become available in fields like aerospace (10 percent growth between now and 2018), industrial engineering (14 percent growth), mining and geological engineers (15 percent), and marine engineers (6 percent growth).

These specialties are only some of the hot engineer job highlights that await those interested in pursuing this fascinating field.  In general, the entire spectrum of engineering jobs is expected to see a boost of 11 percent over the next decade, spurred on by the continual cycle of competitive pressure and general innovation that runs through the world’s many engineering-related industries.  Thanks to the unique role that engineers play in fostering technological change, instead of being displaced by more efficient processes like some other types of workers, engineers are actually deeply involved every step of the way.  International opportunities for engineers willing to move outside their comfort zones and introduce these technologies to developing nations will also come to the fore in the years to come.