The numbers are in and Houston takes the top spot in the nation for the highest demand for engineers, according to a new Monster.com survey.

The online job board service ranked the top engineering job opportunities by region, and discovered that Houston had the highest volume of engineering jobs listed across the nation. Houston even trumped San Jose, California, for the number of opportunities. Dallas and Austin also took top spots, with Dallas listed at number seven in the nation, and Austin at number ten in terms of ranking.

No wonder the Houston employment market is constantly on the search for skilled engineers to fill its job needs. In fact, energy, manufacturing and technology companies are all demanding more engineer candidates, according to the Houston engineering recruiters at Murray Resources.

New initiatives aim to fill the engineering pipeline

A variety of new initiatives have been put in place to increase the influx of engineers in the Houston market, which is good news to Houston engineering recruiters throughout the area.

The Greater Houston Partnership started a regional task force to help employers attract skilled technical workers to Houston, and Microsoft created YouthSpark Houston, a program designed to increase the number of skilled science, math, technology and engineering students in the region.

Yet all this activity will take a while to bear fruit. Meanwhile, the demand for engineers in Houston is at a high.

What makes Houston the top spot seeking engineering talent?

Not surprisingly, the Bayou City’s prosperity rests strongly on its role as the center of energy production for much of the country. The presence of major energy companies such as Exxon and Conoco Phillips in Houston’s Energy Corridor lead to high demand for engineers in the energy sector. So much so that, while the nationwide hiring demand for engineers has declined by almost 10% since March 2012, demand in the Houston metro area has grown by 11%.

What kind of engineering talent do companies seek?

Research by Houston engineering recruiters and others keen on following the engineering job trends in Houston point to these roles as the 10 most in-demand engineering job titles:

• Mechanical Engineer
• Project Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Process Engineer
• Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Reservoir Engineer
• Senior Process Engineer
• Quality Engineer
• Senior Mechanical Engineer

Related to this, the five skills are most commonly highlighted in ads seeking engineering talent in the Houston metro area are:

• Project management
• Microsoft Office
• Quality Assurance (QA)
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Microsoft PowerPoint

A great lifestyle sweetens the deal

All this growth in the oil and gas industries, not to mention every sector of Houston’s economy, has had the benefit of turning Houston into a thriving cultural mecca, with housing, dining and entertainment options galore.

Along with this, all Houston engineering recruiters note that Houston’s highly affordable housing market, combined with improved job availability and business opportunities, a lower cost of living and a warmer climate will keep bringing more new transplants to Houston, in engineering roles and beyond.

Are you a talented professional looking for your next career move?

Turn to Murray Resources, award-winning Houston recruiting firm, for help in exploring your next career opportunity. Contact Murray Resources today at 713.935.0009 or apply to one of our open Houston jobs to get started.