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Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Summary

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Quick Facts: Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
2019 Median Pay $56,550 per year
$27.19 per hour
Typical Entry-Level Education Associate's degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation None
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2019 68,500
Job Outlook, 2019-29 1% (Slower than average)
Employment Change, 2019-29 1,000

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians help engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production.

Work Environment

Most industrial engineering technologists and technicians work in manufacturing industries. Most work full time.

How to Become an Industrial Engineering Technologist or Technician

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation. Community colleges or technical institutes typically offer associate’s degree programs, and vocational–technical schools offer certificate programs.

Pay

The median annual wage for industrial engineering technicians was $56,550 in May 2019.

Job Outlook

Employment of industrial engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow 1 percent from 2019 to 2029, slower than the average for all occupations. Overall employment growth of industrial engineering technologists and technicians in manufacturing is projected to be slow.

State & Area Data

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for industrial engineering technologists and technicians.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of industrial engineering technologists and technicians with similar occupations.

More Information, Including Links to O*NET

Learn more about industrial engineering technologists and technicians by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do About this section

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians interpret schematic diagrams and formulas.

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians help engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production. They prepare machinery and equipment plans, design workflows, conduct statistical production studies, and analyze production costs.

Duties

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically do the following:

  • Suggest revisions to operation methods, material handling, or equipment layout
  • Interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, and formulas
  • Confer with management or engineering staff on quality and reliability standards
  • Help plan work assignments, considering factors such as machine capabilities and production schedules
  • Prepare charts, diagrams, and other graphs to illustrate workflow, routing, floor layouts, how materials are handled, and how machines are used
  • Collect data to assist in process improvement activities

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians study the time and steps workers take to do a task (time and motion studies). To set reasonable production rates, they analyze operations such as maintenance, production, and service.

The work of industrial engineering technologists and technicians is versatile and applicable to a variety of projects. For example, in supply chain management, they help businesses minimize inventory costs; in quality assurance, they help with customer satisfaction; and in project management, they help to control costs and maximize efficiencies.

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians generally work on teams under the supervision of industrial engineers.

Manufacturing engineering technologists and technicians work to raise production quality and profitability. By planning, testing, and custom making industrial products, they help engineers improve manufacturing processes and output. They may assess prototypes, analyze machinery performance, or try new production methods.

Work Environment About this section

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians help carry out studies and make observations to assist industrial engineers.

Industrial engineering technicians held about 68,500 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of industrial engineering technicians were as follows:

Computer and electronic product manufacturing 17%
Transportation equipment manufacturing 15
Professional, scientific, and technical services 9
Machinery manufacturing 8
Chemical manufacturing 8

Industrial engineers usually ask industrial engineering technologists and technicians to help carry out studies and draw conclusions. Consequently, these technologists and technicians typically work at the location where products are manufactured or services are provided.

Work Schedules

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians usually work a standard schedule. Most work full time.

How to Become an Industrial Engineering Technologist or Technician About this section

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
Becoming an industrial engineering technologist or technician usually requires either an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation.

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation. Community colleges and technical institutes generally offer associate’s degree programs, and vocational–technical schools offer certificate programs.

Education

High school students interested in becoming industrial engineering technologists and technicians should take courses in math, science, and drafting, where available.

Postsecondary programs in industrial engineering technology are offered at vocational–technical schools, technical institutes, and community colleges. Vocational–technical schools typically award a certificate. Community colleges programs usually lead to associate’s degrees.

Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have completed an engineering or engineering technology program accredited by ABET.

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians may choose to major in applied science, industrial technology, or industrial engineering technology. These programs may include instruction in computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing software, known as CAD/CAM.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians assess changes in conditions, operations, and the environment to help industrial engineers figure out how systems should work.

Communication skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians must listen carefully to instructions from engineers and must clearly articulate problems to their supervisors.

Critical-thinking skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians must identify and correct weaknesses to help industrial engineers solve problems.

Detail oriented. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians must record precisely what they measure and observe.

Math skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics and statistical techniques to analyze data collected from studies.

Observational skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians closely watch the performance of people or organizations so that they can suggest improvements.

Pay About this section

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Median annual wages, May 2019

Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians

$57,690

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

$56,550

Total, all occupations

$39,810

 

The median annual wage for industrial engineering technologists and technicians was $56,550 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,850, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $87,790.

In May 2019, the median annual wages for industrial engineering technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Chemical manufacturing $59,710
Transportation equipment manufacturing 59,050
Computer and electronic product manufacturing 58,470
Professional, scientific, and technical services 58,210
Machinery manufacturing 54,410

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians usually work standard schedules. Most work full time.

Job Outlook About this section

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Percent change in employment, projected 2019-29

Total, all occupations

4%

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

1%

Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians

1%

 

Employment of industrial engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow 1 percent from 2019 to 2029, slower than the average for all occupations.

An emphasis on cost control through increased efficiency, along with industrial engineering technologists and technicians' role in assisting with automation, is expected to sustain demand somewhat for these workers.

However, overall employment growth of industrial engineering technologists and technicians in manufacturing—the industry in which most of them work—is projected to be slow.

Job Prospects

Despite limited employment growth, about 5,800 openings for industrial engineering technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment projections data for industrial engineering technologists and technicians, 2019-29
Occupational Title SOC Code Employment, 2019 Projected Employment, 2029 Change, 2019-29 Employment by Industry
Percent Numeric

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

17-3026 68,500 69,500 1 1,000 Get data

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Similar Occupations About this section

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of industrial engineering technologists and technicians.

Occupation Job Duties ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION Help on Entry-Level Education 2019 MEDIAN PAY Help on Median Pay
Cost estimators

Cost Estimators

Cost estimators collect and analyze data in order to estimate the time, money, materials, and labor required to make a product or provide a service.

Bachelor's degree $65,250
Health and safety engineers

Health and Safety Engineers

Health and safety engineers combine knowledge of engineering and of health and safety to develop procedures and design systems to protect people from illness and injury and property from damage.

Bachelor's degree $91,410
Industrial engineers

Industrial Engineers

Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.

Bachelor's degree $88,020
Logisticians

Logisticians

Logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain.

Bachelor's degree $74,750
Quality control inspectors

Quality Control Inspectors

Quality control inspectors examine products and materials for defects or deviations from specifications.

High school diploma or equivalent $39,140
Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/industrial-engineering-technologists-and-technicians.htm (visited December 15, 2024).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021

What They Do

The What They Do tab describes the typical duties and responsibilities of workers in the occupation, including what tools and equipment they use and how closely they are supervised. This tab also covers different types of occupational specialties.

Work Environment

The Work Environment tab includes the number of jobs held in the occupation and describes the workplace, the level of physical activity expected, and typical hours worked. It may also discuss the major industries that employed the occupation. This tab may also describe opportunities for part-time work, the amount and type of travel required, any safety equipment that is used, and the risk of injury that workers may face.

How to Become One

The How to Become One tab describes how to prepare for a job in the occupation. This tab can include information on education, training, work experience, licensing and certification, and important qualities that are required or helpful for entering or working in the occupation.

Pay

The Pay tab describes typical earnings and how workers in the occupation are compensated—annual salaries, hourly wages, commissions, tips, or bonuses. Within every occupation, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area. For most profiles, this tab has a table with wages in the major industries employing the occupation. It does not include pay for self-employed workers, agriculture workers, or workers in private households because these data are not collected by the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, the source of BLS wage data in the OOH.

State & Area Data

The State and Area Data tab provides links to state and area occupational data from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program, state projections data from Projections Central, and occupational information from the Department of Labor's CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The Job Outlook tab describes the factors that affect employment growth or decline in the occupation, and in some instances, describes the relationship between the number of job seekers and the number of job openings.

Similar Occupations

The Similar Occupations tab describes occupations that share similar duties, skills, interests, education, or training with the occupation covered in the profile.

Contacts for More Information

The More Information tab provides the Internet addresses of associations, government agencies, unions, and other organizations that can provide additional information on the occupation. This tab also includes links to relevant occupational information from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET).

2019 Median Pay

The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics survey. In May 2019, the median annual wage for all workers was $39,810.

On-the-job Training

Additional training needed (postemployment) to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation.

Entry-level Education

Typical level of education that most workers need to enter this occupation.

Work experience in a related occupation

Work experience that is commonly considered necessary by employers, or is a commonly accepted substitute for more formal types of training or education.

Number of Jobs, 2019

The employment, or size, of this occupation in 2019, which is the base year of the 2019-29 employment projections.

Job Outlook, 2019-29

The projected percent change in employment from 2019 to 2029. The average growth rate for all occupations is 4 percent.

Employment Change, 2019-29

The projected numeric change in employment from 2019 to 2029.

Entry-level Education

Typical level of education that most workers need to enter this occupation.

On-the-job Training

Additional training needed (postemployment) to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation.

Employment Change, projected 2019-29

The projected numeric change in employment from 2019 to 2029.

Growth Rate (Projected)

The percent change of employment for each occupation from 2019 to 2029.

Projected Number of New Jobs

The projected numeric change in employment from 2019 to 2029.

Projected Growth Rate

The projected percent change in employment from 2019 to 2029.

2019 Median Pay

The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics survey. In May 2019, the median annual wage for all workers was $39,810.