By Abby Lombardi on October 23, 2012 in Engineering.

Engineers are one of the most in-demand occupations in the US.  In September, there were more than 184,000 available job listings online for engineering jobs. Although seasonal trends may be affecting month-to-month hiring demand, the number of job ads has still grown compared to last year, representing a 12% year-over-year increase and 17% growth from two years ago. The most in-demand engineering job titles in the US are Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Quality Engineer, and Project Engineer.

4-Year Hiring Trend for Engineers – Monthly Job Ad Volumes in the US

As one of the STEM fields and an area that seems to be constantly evolving, these jobs are often considered hard-to-fill. Some of this may be related to the combination of skills required of potential candidates. In addition to traditional engineering skills and certifications, like quality assurance (QA) and Six Sigma, we noticed there are several technologies that are more commonly being required in engineering jobs. Computer-aided design (CAD) experience is a common job requirement, and knowledge of programs like Autodesk AutoCAD and SolidWorks CAD are some of the most in-demand skills for Engineers. For example, Autodesk AutoCAD is more commonly listed as a qualification in online job ads than Six Sigma skills. Overall, the number of job ads that look for candidates with CAD knowledge or experience is up 14% compared to September 2011.

As employers increase hiring demand for Engineers and begin to look for candidates with new skill sets, they are likely to experience more competition and an increased difficulty to fill. Our Hiring Scale™ shows that employers across the United States leave engineering job ads online for an average of 6.5 weeks. However, each location and region of the US experiences a varying degree of difficulty and time-to-hire. Companies in Athens, Georgia and Jefferson City, Missouri are currently experiencing more challenging overall recruiting conditions since hiring in these areas is growing more quickly than the local talent supply can support. Job ads in these locations remain online for an average of 9 weeks – 2.5 weeks longer than the national average. In comparison, the Hiring Scale also shows that employers in Binghamton, New York and Virginia Beach, Virginia are experiencing some of the least difficulties. Larger talent supply compared to the hiring demand by employers in these metro areas means that open engineering jobs are likely to be filled easier and faster. The average duration of a job ad in these locations is 5.5 weeks.

Below is a heat map of Hiring Scales in major metropolitan areas across the US. How does your city compare?

Heat Map of Hiring Scales for Engineering Jobs in the US

See how conditions compare in your local area with our free online Hiring Scale.

Already an Analytics user? Log in and search for the "Architecture and Engineering" occupation. Don't forget to add skills you require in candidates – like CAD or Six Sigma – and see who you are competing with for talent!

Links to this article (3)

• October 25, 2012 - tapintoourtalent.com
  » Blog Archive Do Skill Requirements for Engineers Affect Difficulty-to-Hire?
  
• November 28, 2012 - www.wantedanalytics.com
  Building Hiring Demand for Civil Engineers – Jobs. Trends. Insight.
  
• November 29, 2012 - strategic-hr.com
  Building Hiring Demand for Civil Engineers | Strategic HR
  

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