The Best Jobs in Engineering, 2015

Petroleum engineer, civil engineer and environmental engineer topped the list of best jobs in the engineering category, according to a new report by jobs website CareerCast.

Research staffers at the site looked through each profession’s projected annual growth between 2012 and 2022, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They also considered the annual mean salary for each profession, as measured by the BLS.

In addition to pay and hiring outlook, CareerCast considered work environment, stress and physical demands. Within those categories, there are more than 100 sub-criteria, like degree of confinement in the workplace and income growth potential. Data comes from the BLS, Census Bureau, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and an array of private compensation surveys, trade association studies and state statistics.

Here’s a look at some of the top jobs:

Petroleum Engineer
Median Annual Salary: $130,280
Growth Outlook: 26%

Increased oil and shale exploration, especially across the U.S., has pushed demand higher for petroleum engineers, and the BLS expects that demand to continue.

Civil Engineer
Median Annual Salary: $79,340
Growth Outlook: 20%

Continued investment in infrastructure at both the state and local levels should fuel hiring of civil engineers in the years to come. 

Environmental Engineer
Median Annual Salary: $80,890
Growth Outlook: 15%

Making an impact on the ecosystem is a strong motivator for many environment engineers. This growing field meets the demand of companies seeking to lessen their impact on their local environment. 

Excerpts from this article were taken from Forbes.com.