Overview

There is a high demand for engineers in the energy industry and there are several trends that indicate that this will be the case for some time to come.

First is growth, not only of the global population, but also the population's increasing thirst for energy of all kinds. As demand grows, current supplies of oil and gas will be pushed to the limit. Oil companies' exploration and production budgets are rising as they gear up to try and find untapped sources of fossil fuels, and as a result the petroleum engineering job market is on the rise. Supplementing the current supply (either by better production or additional exploration and discovery) will not be sufficient. New sources and forms of energy will be needed. It will take time, money, and most of all engineering and technical skills to develop and refine these energy sources to a point where they are both economically feasible and socially acceptable.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineering employment overall is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations over the 2004-14 period, while engineering opportunities in energy-related fields like nuclear and environmental engineering will experience a slightly faster-than-average growth. In addition, few industries offer engineers quite as many opportunities to work anywhere in the world.

The electrical utilities present a promising picture for engineering job hunters. Deregulation has meant the expansion of these companies and the opening up of brand-new opportunities. With many utilities diversifying into telecommunications and other industries, the sector is hiring not only more engineers than before but also a hiring a wider range of engineering specialists.