Industrial Engineers
Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination.
Also called: Continuous Improvement Engineer, District Plant Engineer, Documentation Engineer, Efficiency Analyst, Efficiency Engineer, Efficiency Expert
Median pay
$102,440
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$74,370 – $159,860
People employed
365,740
Holland code
CIR
Conventional · Investigative · Realistic
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 2.Do you want the same hours every week?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Industrial Engineers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What industrial engineers do
- 01Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- 02Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- 03Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
- 04Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
- 05Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- 06Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Writing
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Design
- English Language
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Achievement Orientation
- Innovation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from industrial engineers
- Industrial Production Managers81% · +23%
- Logistics Engineers79% · group pay
- Materials Scientists78% · +15%
- Quality Control Systems Managers76% · group pay
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers76% · group pay
Change into industrial engineers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Logistics Engineers88% · $82,320
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians84% · $66,120
- Cost Estimators82% · $78,740
- Quality Control Systems Managers82% · $126,060
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers80% · $171,270
Majors that lead here
- Systems Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Engineering/Industrial Management
- Packaging Science
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.