Industrial Engineers

Industrial engineers develop and implement plans to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. They look at how people, machines, energy, resources, and information are used to accomplish management's goals and devise ways to improve those methods. Industrial engineers have sometimes been called "productivity people" and "efficiency experts".

Education

Most industrial engineers have a four-year college degrees. While many and industrial engineering degrees, other have a background in mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering or production or operations research.

Job Outlook

Employment of industrial engineers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 25,200 openings for industrial engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.*

Lifestyle

As you might guess, most industrial engineers work in industry for manufacturing or service companies. But since their skills are so versatile, industrial engineers can work in virtually any kind of industry or organization including government agencies and consulting firms. They typically work standard 40-hour work weeks.

Salary

The median annual salary for an entry-level industrial engineer $99,380.*

Examples

• Prevent stress and injury in workers by designing effective workspaces
• Organize, for a computer company, a customer service center that actually helps customers
• Determine what work functions are best performed by people and which ones should be automated
• Design ergonomic office space
• Make sure that an international hotel chain offers the same services and conveniences no matter where it’s located

*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  2025