Iowa State University graduates in civil, construction and environmental engineering should see higher-than-average increases in job opportunities for the next decade.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its most recent Occupational Outlook Handbook, which says that construction management, civil engineering and environmental engineering job opportunities combined should increase by 140,000, or 17.3 percent, by 2022.
Employment for construction managers, the general occupation of construction engineering graduates, expects to rise 16 percent from 2012 to 2022. In 2012, 485,000 construction managers were employed in the U.S. About 78,200 more construction managers are expected to be employed in the U.S. by 2022. Iowa State construction engineering graduates also have the required academic qualifications for potential professional engineering licensure.
Employment for civil engineers expects to rise 20 percent by 2022. In 2012, 272,900 civil engineers were employed in the U.S. About 53,700 more civil engineers are expected to be employed in the U.S. by 2022.
Environmental engineers should see a 15 percent rise in job opportunities by 2022. In 2012, 53,200 environmental engineers were employed in the U.S. About 8,100 more environmental engineers are expected to be employed in the U.S. by 2022.
Rates are higher than the all-occupation rate, 11 percent growth by 2022. The job growth rates also are higher than the all-engineering occupation rate, 9 percent growth from 2012 to 2022.
“Civil, construction and environmental engineers play a vital role in maintaining and developing public and private infrastructure,” said Dr. Terry Wipf, Pitt-Des Moines Professor in Civil Engineering and chair of the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at Iowa State. “A rebounding economy adds to the demand for our graduates.”