Study finds engineering, architecture among the best entry-level jobs

This is a pretty good time to be an architect or engineer fresh out of school.

A WalletHub study of the best entry-level jobs found that engineers rank first and architects rank 10th out of a group of 109 professions.

Also on the list are electrical engineer (sixth), industrial designer (36th), interior designer (40th), mechanical engineer (41st), and civil engineer (66th).

The results were determined by examining three dimensions: immediate opportunity, growth potential, and job hazards. The categories had 11 total metrics with a score from 1 to 100. The scores were averaged and weighted, and then combined into one total score.

Engineer was pushed toward the top because of the demand (it ranked first in job openings and fifth in immediate opportunity), and architect was found to be a job with favorable immediate opportunity and job growth potential.

ArchDaily’s Vladimir Gintoff provided some context for the architects’ score. “The study doesn’t appear to consider the debt that many architects graduate with, and it also doesn’t specify where this study was conducted," he wrote. "Also, though many of the top professions could be based in cities, architecture firms seem to hold affinities to urban environments above other careers, adding cost-of-living as a potential gouge to earnings. Nonetheless, the information should be reassuring to those deciding if they would like to pursue a career in architecture and also to the long term viability for the profession.”

Towards the bottom of the list are the tradespeople: electrician (74th), machinist (101st), carpenter (105th), and welder (109th, last). The low scores were largely due to the job hazards associated with them.

Earlier this month, my colleague and I presented a session to a group of civil engineers and transportation agencies about the tech trends in the AEC space. Along with advice on how to prepare your plan for controlled collaboration, we also talked through some practical use cases. One such use case was especially interesting, as it outlined a challenge not unfamiliar to government agencies who are contemplating the leap from paper to digital processes: how to securely migrate workflows.

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