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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.
Other titles employers use
Continuous Improvement Engineer · Engineer · Facilities Engineer · Industrial Engineer · Operations Engineer · Plant Engineer · Process Engineer · Project Engineer
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
- Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
- Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, analytical and practical work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
Subjects to know
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Design
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.6 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.5 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 59%
- A certificate or some college 16%
- A master's degree 15%
- High school or less 7%
- A two-year degree 3%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Development environment software
- Object or component oriented development software
- Operating system software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Program testing software
- Project management software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 29,100
- Job openings each year
- 1,790
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 10.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 29,100 | 1,790 | 10.2% |
| Texas | 28,920 | 2,000 | 24.6% |
| California | 28,300 | 1,820 | 15.5% |
| Minnesota | 21,260 | 1,380 | 16.6% |
| Ohio | 20,760 | 1,260 | 9.1% |
| Illinois | 17,870 | 1,120 | 12.7% |
| Florida | 15,590 | 1,060 | 23.1% |
| Wisconsin | 13,830 | 910 | 17.4% |
| Indiana | 13,730 | 890 | 15.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 13,430 | 840 | 12.3% |
| New York | 11,780 | 0 | −2.4% |
| North Carolina | 11,780 | 770 | 17.9% |
| Arizona | 9,220 | 650 | 27.9% |
| Georgia | 8,880 | 600 | 22.3% |
| South Carolina | 8,580 | 600 | 26.0% |
| Alabama | 8,570 | 570 | 20.4% |
| New Jersey | 8,180 | 520 | 13.0% |
| Tennessee | 8,110 | 560 | 24.6% |
| Connecticut | 7,390 | 490 | 18.2% |
| Kentucky | 6,630 | 440 | 19.9% |
| Washington | 6,480 | 500 | 14.5% |
| Virginia | 6,020 | 390 | 15.1% |
| Colorado | 5,930 | 390 | 17.9% |
| Missouri | 5,750 | 370 | 16.6% |
| Oregon | 5,050 | 340 | 21.7% |
| Utah | 4,350 | 320 | 37.7% |
| Massachusetts | 4,110 | 250 | 8.7% |
| Puerto Rico | 4,000 | 270 | 20.1% |
| Kansas | 3,640 | 240 | 17.0% |
| Maryland | 3,640 | 240 | 16.7% |
| Iowa | 3,290 | 220 | 17.9% |
| Mississippi | 2,550 | 180 | 27.5% |
| Louisiana | 2,490 | 170 | 20.3% |
| Oklahoma | 2,470 | 160 | 12.3% |
| Arkansas | 2,390 | 160 | 18.9% |
| New Hampshire | 2,130 | 140 | 15.8% |
| Nebraska | 1,770 | 120 | 18.8% |
| Nevada | 1,610 | 110 | 23.8% |
| West Virginia | 1,310 | 90 | 19.1% |
| Idaho | 1,300 | 90 | 30.0% |
| Rhode Island | 1,070 | 70 | 12.6% |
| New Mexico | 940 | 60 | 20.5% |
| Delaware | 910 | 60 | 12.3% |
| South Dakota | 890 | 60 | 20.3% |
| Maine | 790 | 50 | 5.3% |
| Vermont | 670 | 40 | 8.1% |
| North Dakota | 600 | 40 | 22.4% |
| Montana | 400 | 30 | 21.2% |
| Wyoming | 250 | 20 | 19.0% |
| District of Columbia | 180 | 10 | 5.9% |
| Alaska | 50 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Purdue University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 330
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 346
- Admit rate
- 16%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Michigan State University
- Degrees each year
- 160
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 276
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Degrees each year
- 257
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
Clemson University
- Degrees each year
- 220
- Admit rate
- 38%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
Iowa State University
- Degrees each year
- 186
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
Excelsior University
- Degrees each year
- 101
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- —