Engineers have rarely struggled with a lack of job opportunities. There is a wealth of employment options out there, and the engineering profession has been in an almost constant state of growth since engineers are required virtually everywhere.
While most engineers will rarely struggle to find a job, we want to highlight the engineering fields that are growing faster. This may help those heading to college but aren’t sure which engineering specialty is right for them when they graduate.
Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical engineers are required on almost all major building projects. This is why the field is growing at a rate of 7%.
A geotechnical engineer assesses any construction site to determine whether the land and soil can support the project. Much of this work is done ‘in the field,’ but reports are also written at the office.
Geotechnical engineers are often hired by some of the largest construction companies in the business, although there are also dedicated geotechnical engineering companies.
Mechanical Engineering
When most people think of engineering, they think of mechanical engineers. These people construct tools, machinery, engines, and more. They’ll get involved in the designing, testing, and building processes. They’re inventors and may create wholly new contraptions or build their own.
It is one of the fastest-growing engineering fields, with an expected growth rate of 10%. However, salary expectations for a mechanical engineer are lower at an entry-level level. Most want-to-be engineers focus their time and energy on mechanical engineering.
Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering is projected to grow by 10% over the coming years. It is becoming especially common due to companies’ desire to improve efficiency while reducing energy usage.
Industrial engineers mostly focus on production. They may help create company production schedules, devise new, more efficient manufacturing methods, and even design the manufacturing line.
Industrial engineers have some of the highest starting salaries, with an annual national average of $80,000.
Biomedical Engineers
This engineering field is expected to grow by 10% over the years.
You would work purely in hospitals and other medical establishments as a biomedical engineer. Biomedical engineers are the people that help to design artificial organs, limbs, etc. They may also be used to create certain diagnostic equipment, but much of that remains the remit of a bioengineer instead.
Materials Engineer
Finding work as a materials engineer can be tough since they are less in demand than in other engineering fields. However, with the field expected to grow by 6% over the next few years, it may become easier to find a position.
A materials engineer will work with materials. Common materials, as well as new ones that are developed. Much of their work will be trying to find ways to recycle these materials and build products with them.
Materials engineers may work with testing and recycling agencies and even use materials to design products such as computer chips.
Health & Safety Engineers
This field is expected to grow by 10% over the coming years.
A health and safety engineer has various jobs. These include creating new products that can make people’s lives safer. However, much of their work involves collaborating with government organizations, both on a federal and a local level, to develop new health and safety legislation.
Other health and safety engineers may be tasked with inspecting projects or investigating incidents in which health and safety have gone wrong.
Electrical Engineer
Although growth for electrical engineers is slower than in other engineering fields, with a 6% growth over the coming years, it is still faster than in some other professions.
An electrical engineer will design all sorts of electrical systems. This includes large systems covering whole buildings (there may be a small overlap with electricians) and the electrical circuits found in our products and vehicles.
They may also include finding new ways to generate energy, which is a growing field right now, given the amount of money the world has invested in renewable energy sources.
Chemical Engineers
This is, by far, the fastest-growing engineering field, with expected growth of 14%.
Much of this work will involve working with chemicals to develop new products and solve various problems. It will also involve working in the lab, writing reports, and creating machinery that can analyze the materials that the engineer works with.
The average salary for a chemical engineer is also incredibly high, hitting $93,000 in the US, which is expected to grow.
That being said, this is also one of the toughest engineering fields to enter, mostly because the engineer needs a solid understanding of chemistry. Most engineering courses will rarely focus on chemistry, and thus, you would need to follow a specific chemical engineering course.
Robotics Engineering
Robotics engineering is slated to grow by 5% over the coming years. However, there are a huge number of possibilities in the future. Robotics will likely become big in manufacturing, vehicles, and home use in the coming years (we are talking decades into the future). So, a person getting into robotic engineering now can enter a massive growth industry.
As a robotics engineer, you’d focus on creating automated robotic systems. This includes designing the equipment and the intelligence behind it and developing new technology. Many robotic engineers also focus heavily on the ethical implications of designing robots.
As we said – robotics (outside of manufacturing machinery) is a small field now but will likely grow heavily.
Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering’s expected growth rate is 6%, which may be low. Aerospace engineering involves developing products for space, including weapons systems, spacecraft, robots, and satellites.
As the space industry opens up more to private companies, many options are expected to be available in the ‘race for space.’
Computer Software Engineer
The growth could be anywhere from 10% to 26%. You’d create computer programs for various issues as a computer software engineer. There will be a lot of overlap with computer programming here.
Civil Engineers
Civil Engineering jobs will likely increase by 6-10% over the coming years. A civil engineer oversees various civil projects, including road construction, airports, tunnels, sewers, and water treatment.
Many civil engineers will work with local governments. However, there are also plenty of jobs available in the private sector.
Civil engineering is more prone to economic fluctuations than other engineering jobs. If the economy is going through a downturn, civil engineering will often go through a downturn, too, as building construction is often significantly reduced during an economic downturn. Plus, there’s more than enough work during an upswing.
The Future of Engineering
Engineering is an industry that will always be here. Most fields of engineering are growing at a rapid rate. While this page details the fastest-growing engineering fields, it doesn’t matter what type of engineering you study. There’ll always be jobs available. You’ll find it much easier to find positions in the fields on this list.
