Opportunity in Infrastructure: An Examination of Infrastructure Occupations Across Third District States

Recent increases in infrastructure spending have highlighted the need for workers with in-demand skills in these fields.

There are over 600,000 infrastructure workers employed across a range of sectors in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The three states tend to have an older population compared with the rest of the nation. This demographic trend may lead to infrastructure workforce shortages in the future. However, it could also create opportunities for workers to earn higher wages.

Most infrastructure jobs are considered opportunity occupations. These are jobs that pay above an area’s median wage and do not require a four-year college degree. In fact, over 80 percent of infrastructure jobs in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are opportunity occupations.

Many infrastructure jobs, regardless of their pay level, share similar skills. This suggests that infrastructure sectors could provide pathways for workers without a college degree to move up the economic ladder.

The report also includes example pathways into infrastructure occupations from the Occupational Mobility Explorer developed by the Federal Reserve Banks of Philadelphia and Cleveland. This interactive tool allows users to build skills-based career pathways to visualize how the skills gained through previous work experience can transfer to higher-paying occupations.