Increased pay is the top consideration for American engineers seeking a new job, while electrical engineers are in greatest demand by the country’s employers, according to the Engineering Talent Supply and Demand survey released today by Experis, a division of ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN).

The survey found 47% of professional engineers will actively seek new positions in 2015, and 23% may look for new jobs or explore what’s available. Only 11% said they were not likely to change positions, and 19% intend to stay in their current position.

Concurrently, 86% of employers who hire engineers reported having difficulty filling engineering roles. While 82% of these plan to hire engineers this year, 24% do not believe they will be able to find the engineering talent they need for their businesses.

Electrical engineers ranked highest on the list of the most in-demand engineers with 12% of employers desiring workers with these skills. Manufacturing and software engineers followed at 10% and 7% respectively.

The survey reports hiring challenges for filling open engineering positions include:

• Lack of applicants: 46%
• Lack of experience: 44%
• Lack of hard job skills/technical skills: 32%
• Salary demands too high: 26%
• Lack of soft skills/workplace competencies: 15%

The survey found 40% of engineers searching for a new position prioritize increased salary, bonuses and/or incentives. Only 18% consider a better work environment or culture the most important factor. More interesting or challenging work, access to better professional training and career development or improved work/life balance were the smallest considerations at 17%.

“Finding qualified engineers to fill mission-critical roles is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack — 86% of employers report such difficulty. More than 80% of engineering employers hope to hire in 2015, but less than a quarter are confident they will find the talent they need,” said Rich Hutchings, Experis VP, engineering. “Higher remuneration packages may sound costly, but a loyal and productive workforce is a priceless commodity when it comes to in-demand engineers.”

The online survey was conducted from Jan. 28 through Feb. 5, 2015. It included 1,400 engineers and 100 employers who are likely to recruit engineering talent.