### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			industrial engineering technicians imageIndustrial engineering technicians collect data to assist in process improvement activities.							
						Quick Facts:     Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians2023     Median Pay
            						$62,610     per year
										$30.10     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Associate's degreeWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    NoneOn-the-job Training
                                    NoneNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    69,100Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    3% (As fast as average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    2,200What 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 technologists and technicians was $62,610 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of industrial engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow							 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
						About 6,500 openings for industrial engineering technologists and technicians 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.
						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 
            

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

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Industrial engineering technologists and technicians held about 69,100 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of industrial engineering technologists and technicians were as follows:
        Computer and electronic product manufacturing
                17%Transportation equipment manufacturing
                12Professional, scientific, and technical services
                11Chemical manufacturing
                8Machinery manufacturing
                8Industrial 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

			Industrial engineering technologists and techniciansBecoming 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

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansMedian annual wages, May 2023Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians$63,100  Industrial engineering technologists and technicians$62,610  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for industrial engineering technologists and technicians was $62,610 in May 2023. 


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 $44,950, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $94,540.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for industrial engineering technologists and technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Chemical manufacturing
                $68,080Professional, scientific, and technical services
                66,760Computer and electronic product manufacturing
                62,300Machinery manufacturing
                62,180Transportation equipment manufacturing
                61,480Industrial engineering technologists and technicians usually work standard schedules. Most work full time.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
               Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Total, all occupations3%  Industrial engineering technologists and technicians3%  Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians1%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of industrial engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow				 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
			
			About 6,500 openings for industrial engineering technologists and technicians 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.
			Employment
	
			
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 for these workers.
			

                        Employment projections data for     industrial engineering technologists and technicians, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Industrial engineering technologists and technicians**
			17-3026
			69,100
			71,300
			3
			2,200
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 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. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians **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 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
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Calibration Technologists and Technicians**
            Calibration technologists and technicians inspect, adjust, and test measurement devices against standards, such as those used in manufacturing, healthcare, and other industries.
            Associate's degree
            $62,790**Cost Estimators**
            Cost estimators collect and analyze data in order to assess the time, money, materials, and labor required to make a product or provide a service.
            Bachelor's degree
            $74,740**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
            $103,690**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
            $99,380**Logisticians**
            Logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain.
            Bachelor's degree
            $79,400**Quality Control Inspectors**
            Quality control inspectors examine products and materials for defects or deviations from specifications.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $45,850
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about industrial engineering, visit
Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers
For more information about manufacturing engineering, visit
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
For information on general engineering education and career resources, visit
American Society for Engineering Education
For more information about accredited programs, visit
ABET

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansNanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians
 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-technicians.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


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