Engineering Jobs Most in Demand by 2035

Q: Will AI replace engineering jobs?

AI will automate portions of analysis, drafting, coding and documentation, but it is more likely to change engineering work than eliminate it. Engineers who can validate models, understand physical systems, manage risk and use AI responsibly should become more valuable.

Predicting the labour market nine years ahead is never exact. Technologies change, governments revise investment programs, projects are delayed and new specialties appear faster than occupation classifications can record them. Even so, the forces shaping engineering work are unusually clear: electricity systems are being rebuilt, infrastructure assets are under pressure, industries are automating, cyber-physical systems are spreading, climate risks are increasing and Australia is seeking greater capability in critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and defence.

The national outlook is also supportive. Jobs and Skills Australia projects total employment to reach approximately 16.6 million by May 2035, with professionals among the fastest-growing major occupation groups. Its detailed projections indicate that Engineering Professionals could grow from about 219,800 workers in 2025 to 267,300 in 2035—an increase of roughly 47,500 positions, or 21.6 per cent. That does not include every software, project-management, technical, scientific or trade role that engineering activity also creates.

The engineers most in demand by 2035 will not simply belong to one traditional discipline. They will combine engineering fundamentals with energy, digital systems, sustainability, regulation and project-delivery knowledge.

How This 2035 Engineering Demand Ranking Was Assessed

No Australian government agency publishes one definitive list titled “the top engineering jobs of 2035.” This article therefore ranks fields using three signals: projected occupation growth, evidence of persistent shortages, and the strategic importance of the industries creating demand. The result is a practical forecast rather than a guarantee that every graduate in a listed discipline will find work immediately.

+21.6% Projected growth in Engineering Professionals from May 2025 to May 2035.

+26.7% Projected growth in Software and Applications Programmers over the same decade.

+23.1% Projected growth in Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers.

Demand will also differ by location and experience level. A field can be nationally strong while individual vacancies are concentrated in renewable-energy zones, mining regions, defence precincts or major capital-city projects. Employers may need experienced specialists more urgently than graduates. For that reason, students and career changers should consider not only the discipline name, but also the sector, software, standards, security requirements and geographic flexibility attached to it.

1. Electrical, Power Systems and Renewable Energy Engineers

Electrical and power systems engineering is likely to be one of Australia’s most important engineering career areas through 2035. The country must connect large volumes of wind and solar generation, strengthen transmission networks, expand battery storage, electrify buildings and transport, manage distributed energy resources and maintain system security as ageing coal-fired generation retires.

Jobs and Skills Australia projects employment for Electrical Engineers to rise by about 21.8 per cent between 2025 and 2035. The sector-specific signal is even stronger. Research prepared for the Australian Energy Market Operator found that the clean-energy workforce needed for generation, storage and transmission under the Step Change scenario would rise from around 21,500 to 59,300 workers by 2030. The Clean Energy Council identifies grid connection engineers as being in high demand and short supply.

High-value specialties are likely to include power-system studies, protection and control, high-voltage design, transmission planning, grid connection, battery energy storage, inverter-based resources, commissioning, power electronics, microgrids, electric-vehicle charging and energy management. Engineers who understand the National Electricity Market, AEMO requirements, network-service-provider processes and dynamic simulation tools should be particularly valuable.

The strongest candidates will not treat renewable energy as only solar-panel or wind-turbine design. The real engineering challenge is integrating thousands of assets into a stable, secure and commercially operable power system.

2. Civil, Structural, Geotechnical and Transport Engineers

Civil engineering will remain a major employment field because Australia must build new infrastructure while repairing and adapting what it already has. Population growth, housing, rail, roads, airports, water systems, energy projects, ports and urban renewal all require civil capability. At the same time, ageing bridges, buildings, pavements and utilities need assessment, strengthening and life-extension work.

National projections show Civil Engineering Professionals increasing from about 76,300 in 2025 to 92,300 in 2035, adding roughly 16,000 positions. Infrastructure Australia also reported that labour remains a critical delivery risk across the infrastructure pipeline, with engineers, architects and scientists forming a substantial part of the workforce and forecast shortages.

Demand will be spread across structural design, construction engineering, geotechnical investigation, tunnelling, transport planning, rail systems, pavement engineering, temporary works, asset management, façade engineering and forensic assessment. Civil engineers will also be needed on renewable-energy projects for foundations, access roads, substations, transmission structures, hydropower, pumped hydro and port upgrades.

By 2035, climate resilience will be embedded more deeply in civil practice. Engineers will need to design for flooding, heat, bushfire exposure, coastal hazards, changing rainfall patterns and more demanding durability conditions. Familiarity with Australian Standards, digital engineering, constructability, carbon assessment and whole-of-life performance will make candidates more competitive.

3. Software, AI, Data and Automation Engineers

Software-related engineering is expected to grow faster than most traditional engineering categories. Jobs and Skills Australia projects Software and Applications Programmers to increase by nearly 49,600 positions, or 26.7 per cent, between 2025 and 2035. Globally, the World Economic Forum identifies AI and machine-learning specialists, big-data specialists and software roles among the strongest growth areas.

The most durable opportunities will sit where software meets real systems. Examples include industrial automation, digital twins, predictive maintenance, embedded control, robotics, energy-market platforms, smart infrastructure, autonomous equipment, engineering simulation, cloud-connected devices and safety-critical software. Demand should also grow for engineers who can build secure data pipelines from sensors and convert operational information into reliable decisions.

AI will automate portions of coding, drafting, analysis and documentation, but it will not remove the need for engineering judgement. Organisations will still require people who can define the physical problem, test assumptions, validate outputs, manage failure modes and accept professional responsibility. The safer career strategy is therefore not to compete against AI at repetitive tasks, but to become the engineer who can use AI while understanding when it is wrong.

Valuable skills will include Python, data analysis, APIs, cloud systems, machine learning, cybersecurity fundamentals, model verification and domain expertise in an industry such as energy, transport, mining, manufacturing or health.

4. Mechanical, Mechatronics, Robotics and Production Engineers

Mechanical engineering will evolve rather than disappear. Jobs and Skills Australia projects Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers to grow by about 23.1 per cent by 2035, adding approximately 9,250 workers. Their work will be central to automation, advanced manufacturing, energy equipment, defence production, mining technology, building services and maintenance of complex assets.

Mechatronics and robotics engineers should benefit from the continued integration of mechanics, electronics, control systems and software. Warehouses, farms, mines, ports, factories and inspection services are increasingly using autonomous or remotely operated equipment. Engineers will be needed to design machines, select actuators and sensors, develop controls, integrate computer vision, improve reliability and certify systems for safe operation.

Other growth areas include heating and cooling electrification, heat pumps, hydrogen and ammonia equipment, wind-turbine systems, battery thermal management, additive manufacturing, condition monitoring and industrial energy efficiency. Production engineers who can redesign processes for lower emissions, higher productivity and stronger supply-chain resilience should also see opportunities.

The most employable mechanical engineers will combine core capabilities in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, machine design and materials with controls, simulation, data acquisition and practical commissioning experience.

5. Environmental, Water and Climate-Resilience Engineers

Environmental engineering is moving from a compliance function to a central design requirement. Population growth is increasing pressure on water supply, wastewater treatment, waste systems and land development. Climate change is increasing the need for flood mitigation, drought planning, coastal protection, catchment management and resilient urban systems. The World Economic Forum places environmental engineers among the fastest-growing roles associated with climate adaptation and mitigation.

In Australia, opportunities should expand for water and wastewater engineers, hydrologists, flood modellers, contaminated-land specialists, waste and resource-recovery engineers, environmental impact professionals and engineers working on nature-based solutions. Renewable-energy, mining and infrastructure projects will also require environmental approvals, rehabilitation plans, water management and biodiversity-sensitive design.

This field will reward engineers who can work across technical and regulatory boundaries. Modelling alone is not enough; professionals must communicate risk, understand planning and environmental legislation, engage with communities and translate scientific uncertainty into implementable designs.

Skills in GIS, hydrology, hydraulic modelling, life-cycle assessment, carbon accounting, climate-risk analysis and environmental management systems will increasingly complement traditional civil, chemical and environmental engineering knowledge.

6. Chemical, Materials, Process and Battery Engineers

Australia’s decarbonisation and manufacturing ambitions will create demand for engineers who understand how materials and industrial processes behave at scale. Jobs and Skills Australia projects Chemical and Materials Engineers to grow by about 23.2 per cent to 2035. Although this is a smaller occupation group than civil or software, its expertise is critical to batteries, mineral processing, low-emission metals, hydrogen, water treatment, food production, pharmaceuticals and advanced construction materials.

Promising specialties include battery materials and recycling, electrochemistry, process intensification, green hydrogen and derivatives, carbon capture, industrial heat, sustainable polymers, corrosion, composites and low-carbon cement. Materials engineers will also be needed to improve durability and performance in harsh environments while reducing embodied emissions.

Commercial success in these industries depends on moving from laboratory results to safe, economical and repeatable production. Engineers who understand pilot plants, scale-up, process control, quality systems, hazard studies, techno-economic assessment and life-cycle impacts will therefore be more valuable than candidates with purely theoretical knowledge.

Because many emerging technologies face uncertain project timelines, this field can be more cyclical than civil infrastructure. Broad process-engineering fundamentals and transferable experience across minerals, energy, manufacturing and water can reduce that risk.

7. Mining, Critical Minerals, Metallurgical and Geotechnical Engineers

Mining engineering will remain strategically important because clean-energy and digital technologies require lithium, rare earths, copper, nickel and other minerals. Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy explicitly links sector growth with the need for a larger, skilled workforce and greater downstream processing capability.

Jobs and Skills Australia projects Mining Engineers to grow by about 18.5 per cent from 2025 to 2035. Demand will extend beyond mine planning. It will include mineral processing, metallurgy, tailings and water management, geotechnical risk, automation, remote operations, electrification of equipment, rehabilitation and environmental performance.

The sector is becoming more technology-intensive. Autonomous haulage, drone surveying, real-time ore tracking, predictive maintenance and remote control centres require collaboration among mining, mechanical, electrical, software and data engineers. Engineers who can reduce energy consumption, improve recovery rates or safely process lower-grade resources can create substantial commercial value.

Regional location remains an important factor. Some of the strongest opportunities will involve residential regional work or fly-in, fly-out arrangements. Candidates who are geographically flexible and understand site safety, operational constraints and production economics may progress faster than those seeking office-only roles.

8. Defence, Marine, Aerospace and Systems Engineers

Australia’s long-term defence investment is creating a specialised engineering ecosystem around shipbuilding, submarines, aerospace, communications, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, sustainment and secure manufacturing. AUKUS workforce-development initiatives and submarine industrial-base investment point to needs extending into the 2030s and beyond.

Relevant careers include naval architecture, marine engineering, mechanical and electrical systems, systems engineering, safety engineering, nuclear-related engineering, test and evaluation, configuration management, reliability, communications, software assurance and advanced manufacturing. Defence projects also require civil engineers for facilities and infrastructure, and materials engineers for corrosion, fatigue and harsh-service environments.

Systems engineering will be especially important because major defence platforms combine thousands of interacting mechanical, electrical, software and human components. Engineers who can manage requirements, interfaces, verification, safety cases and long asset lives are difficult to replace.

This market has barriers. Some roles require Australian citizenship, security clearances, export-control compliance or specialised training. The opportunity is therefore significant but not equally accessible to every applicant. Candidates should check eligibility before committing to a narrow defence pathway.

9. Electronics, Telecommunications and Cyber-Physical Systems Engineers

Connectivity will be built into energy assets, vehicles, factories, buildings, farms and public infrastructure. This supports demand for electronics and telecommunications engineers who can design embedded systems, sensors, wireless networks, control hardware, Internet of Things devices and resilient communications.

National projections indicate growth of about 22.9 per cent for Electronics Engineers and 21.9 per cent for Telecommunications Engineering Professionals by 2035. Opportunities will arise in defence, space, medical devices, industrial control, transport technology, energy networks and advanced communications.

Cybersecurity will become inseparable from this work. A connected device that performs safely in isolation may create unacceptable risk when linked to a network. Engineers will need to consider secure architecture, access control, firmware integrity, data privacy, redundancy and recovery from the beginning of design rather than adding security after deployment.

Engineers who combine hardware knowledge with embedded programming, signal processing, communications protocols and systems security should be particularly versatile.

10. Surveying, Geospatial and Digital Engineering Specialists

Every major infrastructure, resources and energy project depends on accurate spatial information. Jobs and Skills Australia projects Surveyors and Spatial Scientists to grow by about 18.6 per cent by 2035. At the same time, digital engineering is changing how projects are planned, coordinated, constructed and operated.

Future demand will cover land and engineering surveyors, GIS specialists, remote-sensing professionals, reality-capture technicians, digital engineering coordinators and specialists in building information modelling. Drones, laser scanning, satellite data and automated machine guidance are increasing productivity, but they also increase the need for professionals who understand accuracy, coordinate systems, legal boundaries and data quality.

The strongest roles will connect spatial data to decision-making. Examples include monitoring ground movement, managing utilities, modelling flood exposure, coordinating complex infrastructure interfaces, measuring construction progress and creating digital twins for asset operations.

Civil, mining and environmental engineers who add GIS, BIM or reality-capture capability can also strengthen their employability without changing discipline completely.

What Will Make an Engineer Employable in 2035?

Choosing a growing discipline is only the first step. Employers will increasingly look for combinations of capability that allow engineers to work across boundaries and become productive quickly.

Strong engineering fundamentals

Mathematics, mechanics, materials, circuits, thermodynamics, fluid behaviour and systems thinking remain essential. Software can produce an answer, but engineers must know whether the answer is physically possible, safe and relevant.

Digital and data literacy

Not every engineer must become a software developer. However, most should be able to work confidently with data, automate routine tasks, understand models and communicate with digital specialists. Programming, scripting, dashboards, simulation and AI-assisted workflows will become normal parts of engineering practice.

Knowledge of standards, safety and regulation

High-demand sectors are highly regulated. Engineers who understand Australian Standards, safety obligations, quality systems, environmental approvals, grid rules or assurance processes reduce risk for employers. This is especially important for migrants translating international experience into the Australian market.

Commercial and project-delivery ability

Engineering decisions affect cost, schedule, procurement, constructability, operations and maintenance. Professionals who can manage scope, communicate with clients, write clear reports and explain trade-offs will advance more quickly than technically capable people who cannot connect their work to project outcomes.

Sustainability and whole-of-life thinking

By 2035, sustainability will be part of mainstream engineering rather than a separate specialty. Employers will value people who can reduce energy, carbon, waste and resource use while protecting safety, durability and performance over the asset life cycle.

How Students and Working Engineers Should Prepare Now

A future-proof career does not require predicting one perfect job title. It requires building a strong base and then adding skills that align with several growth sectors.

Choose a broad accredited foundation in civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, software or another established discipline before over-specialising.
Add one digital capability, such as Python, BIM, GIS, controls, data analytics, power-system modelling or cloud-connected devices.
Gain project evidence through internships, laboratories, design competitions, research, site exposure or a portfolio that demonstrates completed work.
Learn the local environment, including Australian Standards, safety rules, professional responsibilities and the terminology used by target employers.
Follow investment pipelines, not only occupation titles. Energy zones, infrastructure programs, defence precincts and processing facilities reveal where demand may concentrate.
Develop communication because future engineers must explain technical risk to managers, regulators, clients and communities.

A practical example: a civil engineer who adds flood modelling, GIS and climate-risk assessment can work across transport, land development, water and resilience projects. An electrical engineer who adds Python, protection studies and battery knowledge can move across utilities, renewables, mining and industrial electrification. Skill combinations create more career resilience than narrow job titles.

Will These High-Demand Fields Guarantee a Job?

No field guarantees employment. A national shortage can exist while graduates struggle because employers need senior specialists, projects are located regionally or recruitment favours candidates with local experience. Economic cycles can also delay infrastructure, mining, hydrogen or manufacturing investments.

The best interpretation of a “high-demand engineering job” is a field supported by multiple long-term drivers and transferable skills. Electrical engineers can work across utilities, buildings, transport and industry. Civil engineers can move among design, construction, assessment and asset management. Mechanical engineers can apply their knowledge to manufacturing, energy, defence and mining. Software and data capability can strengthen almost every discipline.

Career resilience comes from being useful in more than one market while developing enough depth to solve difficult problems. The goal is not to chase every trend; it is to build expertise at the intersection of a durable engineering discipline and a growing national need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which engineering field will have the highest demand by 2035?

In Australia, electrical and power systems engineering is likely to be among the strongest fields because renewable generation, storage, transmission, electrification and grid connection all require specialised capability. Civil, software, mechanical and environmental engineering should also remain important.

Will civil engineers still be in demand in 2035?

Yes. Population growth, transport, housing, water, energy infrastructure, asset renewal and climate resilience should sustain demand for civil, structural, geotechnical and transport engineers. The mix of projects may change, but the need to build, maintain and adapt physical infrastructure will continue.

Will AI replace engineering jobs?

AI will automate parts of analysis, drafting, coding and documentation. It is more likely to change engineering work than eliminate it. Engineers who can validate models, understand physical systems, manage risk, communicate with stakeholders and use AI responsibly should become more valuable.

What skills should engineering students develop for 2035?

Students should combine strong fundamentals with data literacy, programming or automation, systems thinking, sustainability knowledge, communication, project delivery and experience using relevant industry standards and digital tools.

Final Outlook: Engineering Demand Will Follow Australia’s Biggest Problems

By 2035, the most valuable engineers will be working on problems Australia cannot postpone: reliable electricity, resilient infrastructure, secure water, productive industry, critical resources, advanced defence capability and safe digital systems. This favours electrical and power engineers, civil and structural engineers, software and automation engineers, mechanical and mechatronics engineers, environmental specialists, process and materials engineers, mining professionals, defence systems engineers, electronics specialists and geospatial experts.

The boundaries between these careers will become less rigid. A renewable-energy project needs electrical, civil, mechanical, environmental, software and geotechnical expertise. An autonomous mine needs mining, robotics, telecommunications, data and safety engineering. A resilient city needs structural, transport, water, digital and climate-risk capability.

Therefore, the best question is not only, “Which engineering degree will be in demand?” It is also, “Which important system can I learn to understand, improve and deliver?” Engineers who answer that question with strong fundamentals, current digital skills and credible project experience will be well positioned for the opportunities of 2035.

Which Engineering Jobs Will Be Most in Demand by 2035?