Best Engineering Careers in 2023
With renowned public figures like Elon Musk and Richard Branson constantly breaking new ground with technology, now is an exhilarating time to pursue a career in engineering.
Engineering is irrefutably one of the world’s most respected and well-paid professions. Due to the technological revolution in recent years, the sector has experienced significant demand for top engineering positions. It has also seen the emergence of niche disciplines and industries in the segment.
There are several engineering fields, and deciding which one to pursue rests on a few key aspects that you must consider before taking the leap. These factors include better job prospects and competitive salaries.
Keeping in mind these considerations, we have listed the five best engineering careers to help you pursue in this article. We will be telling you about the average annual salaries per experience level and the employment opportunities for each of the best future careers in engineering.
So without any further ado, let’s get started.
5 Best Engineering Careers
Here is a detailed overview of the five best engineering careers for the future:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
1. Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the invention, design, assessment, and manufacture of airplanes, spaceships, and similar equipment and facilities.
The aerospace engineering discipline deals with the challenges associated with atmospheric and space travel. It has two significant and interrelated branches, namely aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering.
Aeronautical Engineering is concerned with the principle, technology, and application of aircraft within the atmosphere of the Earth.
Whereas:
Astronautical engineering is the field of engineering that deals with spacecraft design, construction, and operation.
Aerospace engineering is one of the best-paid engineering careers, with an average aerospace engineer’s salary of $86,002 per year in the United States.
Entry-level aerospace engineers have a starting salary of $64,000 per year. On the other hand, the most experienced aerospace engineers earn up to $132,000 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job prospects for aerospace engineers from 2020 to 2030 are expected to increase at a rate of 8%.
Moreover, over the next ten years, an estimated 4,000 vacancies for aerospace engineers are expected per year on average.
2. Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering is referred to as implementing engineering concepts and problem-solving methodologies in medicine and biology.
It is one of the best engineering careers for the future as it is concerned with making advancements in people’s health and health care on all dimensions.
This is apparent across the health care system, from diagnosis and inspection to healing and therapy. It has made its way into the mainstream consciousness by developing implantable biomedical devices like pacemakers, artificial hips and knees replacements, and more modernistic innovations like stem cell engineering and 3-D printing of biological body parts.
Biomedical engineering is one of the best-paying engineering careers, with an average biomedical engineer’s salary of $68,980 per year in the United States.
Entry-level biomedical engineers have a starting salary of $51,000 per year. On the other hand, the most experienced biomedical engineers earn up to $98,000 per year.
The job prospects for biomedical engineers are expected to grow at a rate of 6% from 2020 to 2030, as per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
On average, 1,400 job openings for biomedical engineers are expected per year over the next ten years.
3. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the concepts and utilization of math and physics and the components of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
The field of electrical engineering has evolved and diversified into a variety of specialized fields, such as power generation and transmission systems, batteries, motors, and control systems.
Electrical engineering also encompasses electronics, which is further subdivided into:
- Radiofrequency (RF) systems
- Telecommunications
- Remote sensing
- Signal processing
- Digital circuits
- Instrumentation
- Optoelectronics
Electrical engineering is a promising career, with an average electrical engineer’s salary of $78,206 per year in the United States.
Entry-level electrical engineers have a starting salary of $60,000 per year. On the other hand, the most experienced electrical engineers earn up to $117,000 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job prospects for electrical engineers are predicted to increase at a rate of 7% between now and 2030.
Over the next ten years, 12,700 job vacancies for electrical engineers are expected per year on average.
You can pursue the following best careers in electrical engineering:
- Electrician
- Electrical technician
- Controls engineer
- Test engineer
- Electrical designer
- Electrical project manager
- Sustainability engineer
- Equipment engineer
- Hardware engineer
If you are interested in becoming an electrical engineer, you can read this blog.
4. Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with designing and implementing structural projects that people can benefit from. This can be massive, involving the construction of national transportation networks or water supply facilities, or on a smaller level, like creating local streets or residences.
Civil engineers are also responsible for developing infrastructures are dams, flyovers, water pipes, reservoirs, highways, nuclear power stations, and drainage systems.
Civil engineering is one of the best engineering careers because it is a profession that is constantly adapting to societal expectations and preferences in the actual world. In the past couple of years, civil engineering has evolved to meet numerous modern environmental problems, assisting in resolving concerns related to contamination and limited water resources while taking care of the industry’s capacity for renewable energy.
The average civil engineer’s salary is $69,088 per year in the United States.
Entry-level civil engineers have a starting salary of $54,000 per year. On the other hand, the most experienced civil engineers earn up to $101,000 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job prospects for civil engineers are anticipated to expand at a rate of 8% between 2020 and 2030, which is approximately as rapid as the average for all professions.
Over the next ten years, 25,300 job positions for civil engineers are expected per year on average.
5. Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the design and construction of nuclear reactors and the processes and systems used for their operation.
It also includes studying the effects of radiation on materials and systems and the design and development of nuclear fuel cycles.
As a result, nuclear engineering is essentially a diverse profession that draws on numerous physics fields. Like the aerospace sector, it depends heavily on simulation and modeling to develop and evaluate complicated systems that are too massive and costly to experiment with.
Nuclear engineering is one of the best-paying engineering careers, with an average nuclear engineer’s salary of $89,401 per year in the United States.
Entry-level nuclear engineers have a starting salary of $66,000 per year. On the other hand, the most experienced nuclear engineers earn up to $139,000 per year.
As per the reports of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job prospects for nuclear engineers are expected to decline at a rate of 8% from 2020 to 2030. However, this doesn’t mean that it is not a promising profession.
Despite the declination in the job prospects, nearly 900 job vacancies for nuclear engineers are expected per year on average over the next ten years.
Which Engineering Field Has the Most Job Opportunities?
As per the details mentioned above for each of the best engineering careers, we can readily conclude that the field of civil engineering has the most job opportunities.
Currently, 25,300 job positions are open for civil engineers on average in the U.S, which is comparatively higher in terms of job opportunities than the other engineering fields. It means 312,330 civil engineers are currently employed in the United States.
Because the U.S. infrastructure has become outdated, civil engineers are required in high demand to reconstruct, maintain, and modernize flyovers, streets, floodwalls, reservoirs, runways, skyscrapers, and other facilities.
Which Engineering Is Best in the Next 10 Years?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job prospects for industrial engineers are expected to increase at a rate of 14% from 2020 to 2030.
It means the employment opportunities for industrial engineers will go up from 292,000 to 332,000 over the next ten years, with a total of 40,000 job openings expected each year on average.
The second and third best engineering careers will be chemical and civil engineering in the next ten years, respectively.
The employment prospects for chemical engineers are predicted to increase at a rate of 9% from 2020 to 2030, adding up to 2,400 job openings expected each year on average.
It will result in the employment opportunities for chemical engineers to go up from 26,300 to 28,700 over the next ten years.
Lastly, the job prospects for civil engineers are expected to grow at a rate of 8% from 2020 to 2030.
It means the employment opportunities for civil engineers will go up from 309,800 to 335,100 over the next ten years, with a total of 25,300 job openings expected each year on average.
Conclusion
As you have witnessed, several employment prospects across the five best engineering careers are projected to boost in the following years.
While this article revealed that there would be many job openings within the best engineering careers in future, it’s also essential to keep in mind how challenging it will be to secure a plum position in those fields.
Employers will like to recruit talented candidates, so it’s essential for you to choose a field of engineering that fascinates you and build your career around it. Good luck with your future endeavors!
Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas (PE), Florida (PE) and Ontario (P. Eng) with consulting experience in design, commissioning and plant engineering for clients in Energy, Mining and Infrastructure.