As a seasoned engineer advancing your career and/or a new engineering graduate looking for a first career opportunity, focusing your career into one of these engineering disciplines will allow you to garner the greatest opportunity for advancement and higher pay in the future.

Civil

Civil engineers can look forward to employment growth of 20 percent because a growing population requires the infrastructure that they build, including power plans, highways, water treatment plants, and harbors. Much of the growth will be in projects that harness renewable energy, such as solar or wind farms. In addition to managing projects, civil engineers must ensure that all their developments meet all federal, state, and local regulations.

Environmental

The public’s growing concerns about the natural world is one of the drivers behind the expected 15 percent increase in environmental engineering positions. These positions combine chemistry, biology, and engineering to solve pollution problems, improve recycling capabilities, and mitigate damage to the environment. Expertise in water use is particularly valuable as many sources of the required liquid are drying up.

Mining and Geological

Mining and geological engineers design the mines and methods for efficiently and safely extracting metals, coals, and precious stones from the ground. The BLS sees their employment growing at around 12 percent because the demand for rare earths is heating up due to advancing technology. In addition, federal regulations allowing access to coal deposits in new areas require the expertise of these professionals.

Petroleum

Despite rapid advances in alternative energy, much of the world’s power and transportation is fueled by oil and gas. So it’s no surprise that the predicted demand for petroleum engineers is 26 percent. They find more efficient ways of extracting fossil fuels from the earth. An increasing population that needs more energy is driving the increases. New methods are also being developed to cost-effectively pull out oil from existing wells and from previously untouched locations, such as under the sea.

Biomedical

With a much faster than average projected job spike of 27 percent, biomedical specialists rank as the most in-demand engineering professionals. They create the devices that conquer disease and improve health. Much of their growth is due to an aging baby boom population that is living longer and is expecting to stay healthy for most of their lives. Technological advances in health care are also providing more opportunities for these professionals.

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing (www.webuildstaffing.com ). To learn more about Michael or to follow his Blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com