While some of the world’s largest economies weather the effects of the worldwide financial crisis, one profession is growing increasingly wealthy. Engineers have an access to high-paying jobs that’s unparalleled in other industries, the president of Texas-based recruitment firm Piper-Morgan Associates claims.
Gladney Darroh, who operates the recruiting firm, specialises in finding engineers for firms in the growing shale gas industry. The personnel consultant claims that a new engineer has incredible access to jobs in the shale gas industry, and engineers with five to fifteen years of experience are ‘the hardest individuals to recruit.’
The shale gas industry has rapidly expanded in the United States, with a shortage of engineering staff following. Senior engineers can expect salaries of $350,000 even as non-executives. The shortage of engineers has many companies paying top-dollar in an effort to avoid having to delay major projects.
The United States is one of several Western countries facing a shortage of engineers and skilled technical professionals. Economists have blamed the 1990s technology industry boom for ‘stealing talent’ from the energy industry, as thousands of would-be mechanical engineers sought training and jobs in the technology industry.
Commentators have described the energy industry as a ‘dog eat dog’ world for those employing engineers, with talent constantly poached using high salaries and fruitful bonus packages. Many firms choose to fight fire with fire, offering their employees a large salary boost if they can promise to remain loyal to their own firm.
For the hundreds of thousands of engineers that avoided high-paying tech offers just under a decade ago, the surge in demand is welcome. Entry-level jobs are offering as much for recent graduates as senior positions are industry veterans, with seven out of the top ten highest-paying college degrees now in engineering.
From chemical engineering to pharmaceuticals, today’s increasingly resource-based economy is a very good place to be an engineer.
