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Job outlook for infrastructure leads in the United States
Infrastructure lead job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected infrastructure lead job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 18,200 new jobs for infrastructure leads are projected over the next decade.
Infrastructure lead salaries have increased 9% for infrastructure leads in the last 5 years.
There are over 19,727 infrastructure leads currently employed in the United States.
There are 50,358 active infrastructure lead job openings in the US.
The average infrastructure lead salary is $118,378.
Are infrastructure lead jobs in demand?
Infrastructure lead job and salary trends over time
Infrastructure lead jobs over time
Infrastructure lead job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19,727 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 17,131 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 17,659 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 9,098 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 8,832 | 0.00% |
Average infrastructure lead salary over time
Infrastructure lead salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $118,378 | $56.91 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $114,477 | $55.04 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $111,885 | $53.79 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $110,590 | $53.17 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $108,681 | $52.25 | +2.4% |
Infrastructure lead jobs by state
Most common states for infrastructure leads
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 385 | 55% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,271 | 21% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,680 | 20% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 150 | 20% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 355 | 18% |
| 6 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 308 | 18% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 194 | 18% |
| 8 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 337 | 16% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 141 | 16% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 824 | 15% |
| 11 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 412 | 14% |
| 12 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 394 | 13% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 809 | 12% |
| 14 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 341 | 11% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 399 | 10% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 130 | 10% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 273 | 9% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 569 | 8% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 49 | 8% |
| 20 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,815 | 7% |
Most common cities for infrastructure leads
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 2 | 5% | $115,750 |
| 2 | Pensacola | 1 | 2% | $108,610 |
| 3 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $101,511 |
| 4 | Carrollton | 1 | 1% | $111,558 |
| 5 | Clearwater | 1 | 1% | $110,810 |
| 6 | Duluth | 1 | 1% | $102,596 |
| 7 | Fort Lauderdale | 1 | 1% | $111,206 |
| 8 | Lansing | 1 | 1% | $96,403 |
| 9 | Livermore | 1 | 1% | $155,008 |
| 10 | Milpitas | 1 | 1% | $155,241 |
| 11 | Santa Clara | 1 | 1% | $155,330 |
| 12 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $108,265 |
| 13 | Arlington | 1 | 0% | $100,227 |
| 14 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $115,968 |
| 15 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $98,675 |
| 16 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $144,068 |
| 17 | Minneapolis | 1 | 0% | $101,800 |
| 18 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $154,183 |
Infrastructure Lead job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of infrastructure lead experts
University of South Alabama
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
University of Maryland
University of Washington
Bakersfield College
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Pennsylvania State University - Great Valley
What Infrastructure Lead skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sean Walker: To maximize your salary, it is really essential to learn the tools and methods associated with Systems Engineering while also maintaining a sense of creativity. Employers are not only looking for engineers with the ability to apply specific tools but also the ability to think creatively to solve complex systems problems. I often encourage my students to maintain their creative hobbies so that they don't lose those skills. But, more immediately, gaining a graduate education in Systems Engineering can help any engineer increase their earning potential.
What general advice would you give to an Infrastructure Lead?
Mark Whalen P.E.: A system engineer designs, develops, and manages complex technical systems across a large variety of industries. This can include defining solutions to system-level problems, plus allocating requirements, technologies and team member tasking at a project level, as well as communicating complex ideas and systems to key stakeholders.
An entry-level system engineer will typically apply advanced mathematical techniques to solve system-level technical problems, as well as installing, testing, and troubleshooting complex operating systems
Brian Kelly
Associate Dean for Development and Faculty Affairs, Area Chair / Director, Architecture ProgramUniversity of Maryland
IEEE Senior Member, ACM Senior Member, IARIA Fellow, Professor, Program Coordinator | Department of Computer Science and Digital Technologies, Director, Cybersecurity Activities
What skills stand out on Infrastructure Lead resumes?
Brian Kelly: The best employers are looking for leadership potential and the ability to collaborate with others. These attributes are more than just "skills." The worst employers focus on a particular skill.
What soft skills should all Infrastructure Leads possess?
Brian Kelly: Critical Thinking and Design Thinking are the two most important skills that successful candidates need. The ability to communicate in writing, orally, and with visual media is essential.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Infrastructure Leads?
Brian Kelly: The ability to draw with one's hands, study architectural propositions with physical models, and comfort with a wide array of digital media. The first two must be mastered in School, whereas digital media skills will be honed in the context of the firm. Everyone uses different platforms and has different protocols for would-be onboarding architects. Many individuals believe that mastery of a particular digital application is paramount, but this is not the case. Digital applications change with time, and individual employers modify and adapt platforms to their own architect.
What skills will help Infrastructure Leads earn the most?
Brian Kelly: It isn't just skills; knowledge of one's discipline and how it interfaces with others is more important than any single skill.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Infrastructure Leads?
Les Atlas: Most certainly an impact, a very strong impact. The best lesson for us is from the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. That strain of flu still circulates as a seasonal virus. Over 100 years laters, it is now considered a Phase 6 pandemic by the World Health Organization. While it is reduced due to current social distancing and mask wearing, the 1919 Spanish Flu virus still causes community-level outbreaks in multiple parts of the globe. Societal changes from this event of over 100 years ago are still with us.
In fact, they changed society. As is well-documented, after a high level of immunity was reached in the 1920's, the resulting labor shortage enabled workers to demand better living and working conditions, as well as better wages and public health care. As just one example of the societal changes due to the 1919 pandemic, the drop in the male labor force empowered male workers, and also changed the gender composition.
The aftermath of the 1919 pandemic was the start of women joining the labour force. In the United States, the proportion of women in the labour force rose from 18 per cent in 1900 to almost 21 per cent in 1920. In that same year, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, the Congress of the United States guaranteed all American women the right to vote.
The current COVID-19 pandemic will certainly change the way we live, be it our mobility or the kinds of career options people have. After our current year-long experience in remote learning and work, will we go back to the inefficiencies of going to our office every work day? Or will remote work be acceptable, where one's residence will not be dependent upon the locations of employment. Will we avoid future hotspots of infection, choosing to instead reside and travel in areas where infection is decreasing? Will we prefer to travel on aircraft which are certified to be virus-free and frequent restaurants which are documented to be safer? Future marketing will likely make a sharp turn in this direction.
What general advice would you give to an Infrastructure Lead?
Maryam Farahani: Thinking about the fields they want to experience or try. And to be intentional about their job search. The best advice is learning as much as they can about what company offers. Visualizing themselves in the next 5 years as a starting point. Do they want to travel a lot, or be in management positions? Do they want to be subject matter expert, or a hands-on engineer or technologist? Their goal may change as they progress in their career but having one makes a big difference in their career choices and keeping them on track.
Dr. T.S. Kalkur
Department ChairUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
What experience really stands out on Infrastructure Lead resumes?
Dr. T.S. Kalkur: Internship experience and tools used in design.
What experience really stands out on Infrastructure Lead resumes?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: Knowledge of analytical skills, methods, and tools for analysis, design, and management of complex systems and experience working with interdisciplinary teams are essential for systems engineering professionals. Experience in applying systems thinking and design thinking approaches to understanding organization, technical, and non-technical factors that influence the design and performance of complex systems stands out on resumes.