5 Numbers That Explain America’s Engineering Shortage

The United States faces an annual shortage of 18,000 engineers, according to new research from the ACEC Research Institute. This crisis threatens the nation’s ability to maintain and modernize critical infrastructure. Here are five key statistics that illuminate the scope of this challenge: 

1. 18,000: The Annual Engineering Gap - In 2022, approximately 184,000 engineers retired or left the profession, while only 166,000 new graduates entered the workforce. This net shortage of 18,000 engineers annually represents a structural imbalance that will worsen without intervention. 

2. 91%: International Graduates Forced to Leave –  Of 40,606 international students who earned U.S. engineering degrees in 2022, only about 3,825 received H-1B visas—roughly 9%. This means American universities train tens of thousands of qualified engineers who cannot legally work here after graduation. 

3. 3.3%: The Shrinking College Pipeline  – The college-age population (18-24) declined by 3.3% between 2013 and 2022, directly impacting the number of potential engineering students. This demographic shift compounds recruitment challenges for engineering programs nationwide. 

4. 10,000: The Post-2019 Graduate Decline –  Engineering degree completions peaked around 2019 at approximately 214,000 and have since fallen by more than 10,000. Civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering—core infrastructure disciplines—dropped by 5,000+ graduates since 2019. 

5. 47%: Engineers Citing Burnout Risk  – Nearly half of engineering professionals identify burnout as their top career concern, ahead of compensation or job security. This retention crisis means firms lose experienced talent faster than they can develop replacements. 

The Infrastructure Impact  – These numbers translate to delayed projects, increased costs, and potential infrastructure failures. State departments of transportation report difficulty finding qualified engineers to manage federally-funded projects. Private firms compete fiercely for limited talent, driving up project costs. 

Policy Solutions Required  – The engineering shortage demands three immediate actions: reforming H-1B visa policies to retain U.S.-educated international graduates, expanding engineering education pathways, telling the story of engineering better, and modernizing workplace cultures. Without these changes, America’s infrastructure ambitions will remain unrealized. 

Source: ACEC Research Institute, “The Workforce of the Future,” October 2025