Engineering has gained popularity in the academic circles due to the lack of qualified individuals in high-tech jobs. Although a large number of students are opting for this field, many continue to obtain a degree in management, thereby reducing the number of technical individuals in the overall work force. To obtain a rewarding, high-paid job in this field, all one needs is a bachelor’s degree.

Engineering courses are being opted for by a majority of students, all over the world. It is the most favoured career option till date. Financial stability, mind-set of the society, and perceived intelligence are some of the major reasons for this attraction. Most students follow the trend that “doing engineering will award you with a safe, secure, stable, and respectful life”.

Some of the most popular and high-paying engineering jobs are that of Drilling Engineer (Median Pay: $113,900), Mining Engineer (Median Pay: $71,300), Welding Engineer (Median Pay: 67,500), Chemical Engineer (Median Pay: $65,900), Mechanical Engineer (Median Pay: $59,000), and Industrial Engineer (Median Pay: $57,300).

However, the number of lucrative fields in engineering is not restricted to this list. A few obscure fields are gaining popularity, with a confirmed guarantee of high growth and development.

1. Nuclear Engineering

This field of science is associated with designing the equipment as well as creating the operational procedures that are employed in the nuclear power plants. Nuclear engineers are required to handle and dispose hazardous waste such as radioactive material on a regular basis. As such they may even work on the machinery that records the nuclear power output. Considering the high levels of risk involved (although safety precautions are always present), this line of work yields an annual income of around $104,270.

The basic requirement for this job profile is a bachelor’s degree. For specialised work, a doctorate is essential. An internship under an expert needs to be done in order to obtain a license from the state government. Nuclear engineers need to have a strong background in mathematics. This field is growing very fast as newer nuclear technology is being discovered along with safer and better ways of disposing nuclear waste.

2. Biomedical Engineering

The main objective of a biomedical engineer is to take the principles from physical and applied sciences and apply them to medicine and biology. Their goal is to effectively understand, repair, or replace a particular system in order to improve the outlook of healthcare. They design machines for detecting health problems and artificial devices like pace-makers and prosthetics to replace the faulty body parts. Apart from this they also conduct research that is required to solve clinical problems.

A bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering is required for this job profile. If you have a degree of some other engineering course, on-hand training as an intern will also suffice in landing a profitable position. Biomedical engineers must possess good analytical and problem-solving skills. Their annual median salary is around $86,960.

3. Sales Engineering

Sales engineers are also called systems engineers or field consultants. Their job is to combine sales knowledge with technical skills in order to provide support and advice on different types of products. Such engineers vary depending on the amount of technical knowledge that they possess, and are hence assigned to different product and services depending on their know-how. They form an essential contact point for the clients with the organisation and provide sound advice before and after the deal.

A bachelor’s degree and licensing is required for a job in this field. If you have sufficient experience in field work then this 4 year degree is not mandatory. Good sales and communication skills is a prerequisite. Possessing problem-solving skills is also handy. A sales engineer can make around $91,830 per annum.

4. Petroleum Engineering

This field of engineering is divided into an upstream and downstream sector. The upstream sector is all about production, exploitation, and exploration of oil and natural gas. Here the engineers use the latest technology in drilling and geophysics for extracting maximum output from oil reservoirs. The downstream sector pertains to the marketing, refining, and distribution of petroleum products.

For a successful career in this field one needs to have a sound knowledge of mathematics, physics, geology and chemistry. With an annual salary of around $130,280, this is one profitable career option for the interested.

5. Environmental Engineering

Considering the immense amounts of pollution blackening the country skies, several research and development studies are being conducted in order to obtain a reasonable solution to this problem. Not just confined to pure sciences, this field has now become integrated with technology as well. The aim of an environmental engineer is to combine the different strategies of science and engineering in order to improve the environment for healthy human existence.

Environmental engineers with a background of economics, ecology, radiological science, and social sciences have a bright future in this industry. Here work experience is valued as much as academic education. An environmental engineer fetches an annual income of about $80,890.

These are some of the engineering fields with high growth and promise of a better future.