There are many things to consider when picking your major. But before you start a Master’s degree in some obscure topic, you might want to check out which degrees will likely be the most competitive in the future–and which ones could be near obsolete.
What Does It All Mean for You?
There were over 1.4 million engineering jobs in the U.S. in 2017. And all engineering occupations are expected to increase over the next 10 years. So, you can rest easy that an engineering degree will remain one of the most sought-after for many years to come!
So, what field should you pick?
Of course, we’d say the field you’re most passionate about! But, you might also consider the following….
Keep in mind that categories aren’t rigid. Not all engineering occupations require an exact degree match. For example, many engineers who work in nuclear or industrial engineering have mechanical engineering degrees, but it would be rare to work in electrical jobs with a civil degree.
- A full 78% of existing engineering jobs are in electrical, civil, mechanical, and industrial engineering. And 82% of all new engineering jobs over the next 10 years is expected to come from just these four fields.
- Petroleum (15% growth), civil (11%), and industrial engineering (10%) are expected to have the highest rates of growth over the next 10 years.
- Nuclear (4% growth) and materials engineering (2%) are expected to grow slower than average. But there aren’t very many grads in nuclear engineering either, so you might still have solid job opportunities with this degree.
- Employer’s Market: There are a few disciplines where the number of degrees awarded outpace anticipated job growth. If the number of graduates in 2017 are any indication, the following engineering fields could be hyper competitive in the near future: agricultural, chemical, biomedical, mechanical, and materials engineering. But remember, there’s job flexibility with many of these degrees and you can work in a different sector.
- Engineer’s Market: There are a few disciplines where the number of degrees awarded might not keep up with anticipated job growth. Based on 2017 degrees, the following engineering fields could have many unfilled job positions in the near future: environmental, industrial, nuclear, and civil engineering. This might be great fields to consider!
Bottom line
We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any engineering field to future grads. And no matter how competitive the future job market might be for a particular engineering career, you can still land the job of your dreams. There are hundreds of ways to prove your awesomeness to a potential employer. The clearest one is to be awesome at your first engineering job:
Become an amazing student. (And rock your interviews.)
It’s so much easier to get your first job or internship when you have the grades to attest to your engineering awesomeness. Make it easy: access our online resources to start destroying engineering school one class at a time or talk with us to see how we can support you one-on-one to reach your fullest potential.
What do you read from the numbers? Will the expected job forecast alter what degree you decide to take on? Tell us about it below.
You got this!
