In his American Jobs Act Speech given in October of 2011, President Obama indicated that the key to rebuilding the US industrial infrastructure was to increase the number of jobs that were available in the field of engineering. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of engineering is not only one of the top paying career sectors, but the average salary is quickly approaching $92,000 per year. Surprisingly, the number of engineers in the US accounts for only 17.5% of the total number in China and India combined. Basically, we are witnessing what has been described as a chronic shortage of engineering students.

Engineering Job Diversity in the Greater Kansas City Area

Currently, the three leading sub-categories of engineering jobs in Kansas City that are driving the industry are the following:

• Chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineers

• Civil engineers

• Environmental engineers

Many college students today have turned their curriculum focus to one of these three areas while it has been estimated that civil engineering will witness a growth in jobs of 24% over the 10-year period of 2008 to 2018. Additionally, where other major metropolitan area job markets are concerned, the greater Kansas City area has witnessed a significant growth in the number of jobs available since 2006.

The Overall Engineering Career Picture

CNN recently ran a report entitled the "Best Jobs in America 2011" in which 2 of the top 10 positions were careers in engineering. The expected job growth over the next 10 years, including engineering jobs in Kansas City, will range between 24% and 30% while average salaries will be between $110,000 and $113,000. As mentioned above, civil engineering will be the career position leader with environmental engineering running a close second. This is not surprising considering these two career fields are the most closely related to rebuilding the economic infrastructure.

In addition to the above, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the following positions will be the highest paying ones:

• Aerospace engineering

• Computer hardware engineering

• Nuclear and petroleum engineering

Average starting annual earnings will range between $92,500 and $108,000 while the highest paid engineers will be found in the energy sector and will average roughly $150,000 annually. In closing, it makes sense that engineering jobs in Kansas City would be highly desirable based on the above statistics and related information. It follows then that with the right qualifications and skills, a trained individual could find a richly rewarding career in the engineering job sector.