Every year, around 24,200 vacancies are projected for civil engineers, on average, during the decade. This shortage of civil engineers can be attributed to the pandemic, which has expanded the workforce that hiring managers are used to. They no longer have to search for the perfect candidate in a specific geographical area, but can instead expand their search nationally or even globally. When looking at lists of the most demanded professions, both nationally and internationally, civil engineering and related professions appear on most of them.
According to the Department of Labor, the field is expected to grow at the same rate or above the same rate as all other occupations combined. From now until 2024, it is estimated that the United States will need more than 23,000 civil engineers. CareerExplorer rates civil engineers with a B- employability rating, which means that this career should provide good employment opportunities for the foreseeable future. With 274,000 jobs available in the civil engineering niche, civil engineers are currently the most sought after professionals in any field of engineering.
In addition to having technical skills, aspiring civil engineers must also develop their decision-making, communication, leadership, problem-solving and organizational skills. The states of Washington, Alaska, Wyoming, Hawaii and Montana have the highest concentration of civil engineering job opportunities. To ensure that positions are filled, employers and future engineering professionals need to be proactive. The pandemic has also had an effect on education.
Many students who would have opted for a civil engineering career are now exploring more digital careers such as cybersecurity and information technology. The mandatory nature of a significant part of the work performed by civil engineers translates into typically long-term job stability for these professionals. Aspiring and experienced engineers must be willing and able to do their best and take advantage of new and innovative training opportunities. In addition, civil engineering projects are less conducive to outsourcing than other engineering disciplines.
Existing engineers and aspiring engineers should choose training that prepares them for immediate entry into the workforce. The architecture, engineering and related services sector has employed 137,560 civil engineers, representing 10.10% of total employment in the engineering sector. State governments have hired 34,560 civil engineers, representing 1.59% of sector-specific employment. The tech industry is also attractive to aspiring civil engineers due to its high salaries, work-from-home options and office perks such as table tennis. To attract the best talent in civil engineering, hiring managers must offer flexibility.
