Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Median salary

$66,120

Average salary

$70,700

Employment

75,570

Projected growth

1.7% growth

Annual openings

6,300

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do

Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 1.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 4.4/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.1/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.7/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
Designimportance 3.5/5
English Languageimportance 3.5/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
Physicsimportance 3.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail4.9/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7/5
Telephone Conversations4.6/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5
Contact With Others4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Electrical Engineers84% skill match
Civil Engineers83% skill match
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary82% skill match
Agricultural Engineers81% skill match
Biochemists and Biophysicists81% skill match
Film and Video Editors80% skill match
Information Security Analysts80% skill match
Speech-Language Pathologists79% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.3/5
Systems Evaluationimportance 3.3/5
Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
Operations Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Technology Designimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

ABB CPM4Metals
AVEVA InTouch HMI
Advanced Dimensional Management 3D-GD&T
Artificial intelligence software
AspenTech Aspen InfoPlus
Autodesk Algor Simulation
Autodesk Inventor
Beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code BASIC

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Achievement Orientation
Integrity
Perseverance
Intellectual Curiosity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalHigh
InvestigativeHigh
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where industrial engineering technologists and technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Warner Robins, GA7.57× national avg
2Reno, NV6.20× national avg
3Arecibo, PR5.78× national avg
4Sheboygan, WI5.68× national avg
5Bloomington, IN5.27× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

Electrical EngineersAdvancement
Materials EngineersAdvancement
Information Security AnalystsCareer Change
Agricultural EngineersAdvancement

See the full career path from Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.