Civil engineers are in high demand and are enjoying stronger wage rises than other workers.

The Australian Institute of Management’s (AIM) latest national salary survey has found wages are still growing at a historically slow annual pace, but construction and engineering industries are the bright lights.

The construction industry recorded the largest increase in wage growth and growth forecasts in the 12 months to the start of October.

AIM’s policy and advocacy general manager Sam Bell said this reflected the shift away from mining-led investment and towards infrastructure spending.

He said low interest rates, a booming property market in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and private sector investment in commercial and residential high rise buildings were driving up civil engineers’ wages.

“We have seen a high demand for civil engineering positions in the past 12 months,” he said.

He said the average total salary for a chief civil engineering executive was up 6.3 per cent and a senior professional engineer (Level 4) was up seven per cent in the past 12 months.