Industrial Engineers

Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service. They assess workers, quality control, logistics, and other factors involved in coordinating production.

Duties

Industrial engineers typically do the following:

• Evaluate manufacturing, delivery, customer experience, or other systems and identify ways to improve productivity and quality
• Collect data on processes and production through observations of work activities, time studies, and staff surveys
• Analyze data to identify trends and areas for improvement
• Design processes, systems, or enhancements to maximize productivity, efficiency, or space
• Collaborate with other departments to develop and implement recommendations for improving productivity or performance
• Present analysis and recommendations to management and other stakeholders

Industrial engineers focus on efficiency, balancing factors such as time, number of workers needed, and available technology to accomplish goals safely and within budget. They create products and services that are useful to a variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation. For example, they might design systems to help move heavy parts within manufacturing plants, improve hospital wait times, or increase vehicle safety.

The following are examples of types of industrial engineers:

Human factors engineers help with products, facilities, and systems to enhance overall well being and system performance. They study the relationship between humans and technology and use those insights to optimize products and systems. For example, they may study how workers interact with manufacturing equipment and detect potential for human error that may lead to safety risks.

Manufacturing engineers design or improve manufacturing systems or related processes. They may focus on the automated aspects of manufacturing production, upgrades to facility layout, or changes to processes to reduce costs and improve product quality. They also design manufacturing systems to optimize the use of computer networks, robots, and materials.

Validation engineers ensure that equipment and systems create products that meet safety and quality requirements. They develop and supervise tests, and they evaluate test data or products to determine whether requirements have been met. They also may inspect equipment or computer systems used in the production process.

Industrial engineers held about 351,100 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of industrial engineers were as follows:

Industrial engineers work in a variety of settings. For example, they may observe workers assembling parts in a factory or spend time in an office analyzing data.

Industrial engineers may need to travel from one work setting to another, such as from their office to a hospital or railyard.

Work Schedules

Most industrial engineers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.

Industrial engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering or a related field, such as mechanical or electrical engineering.

The median annual wage for industrial engineers was $101,140 in May 2024.

Employment of industrial engineers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 25,200 openings for industrial engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many 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.