Ambit Engineering has reported that rates for engineers in WA have risen by 8.7% in the past year and are set to continue climbing, overshadowing Queensland’s 4.5% growth, 3% in Victoria and a measly 1% in NSW.

WA and Queensland have led the charge with the energy industry, oil and gas refineries and coal bed methane projects offering huge incentives for staff willing to travel.

Ambit spokesperson Peter Acheson said demand for engineers in WA was so great companies needed to pay the relocation costs of bringing engineers back from overseas.

"To address this scarcity, WA's recruitment industry is now actively chasing up contractors interstate and overseas," he said.

"However, for recruiters to do this successfully there is a need for companies - particularly mining companies - to begin sponsoring the relocation of engineers from overseas, something that is already reasonably commonplace in the oil and gas industry."

Ambit said rates for construction managers on offshore oil & gas projects can expect anything between $90 and $120 per hour; mine managers $80-$100 and project control managers $90-$110 per hour.