A recent job vacancy study conducted by Utah’s Department of Workforce Services shows that mechanical wngineers are among the “Top 10 Occupations Requiring a Bachelor’s or Advanced Degree,” with a vacancy rate well above average.
In the fourth quarter of 2009, researchers conducting the study interviewed 3,800 employers in nine counties—including the three metropolitan counties around Salt Lake City—to see which jobs were the most in demand.
“We wanted to find out how many job openings are out there and how much the potential pay would be for each,” said Nate Talley, Labor Market Economist for the Department of Workforce Services. “Mechanical engineer positions have a vacancy rate of 2.7 percent – nearly double the overall vacancy average of 1.4 percent.”
There are currently 64 predicted job openings for mechanical engineers, with an average estimated pay rate of 33 dollars per hour.