State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Industrial Engineer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Industrial Engineers is $102,440 a year ($49.25/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 11.0% through 2034, with about 25,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 17-2112Architecture and EngineeringLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $102,440
- Projected growth
- +11.0%
- Openings a year
- 25,200
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Continuous Improvement Engineer, Engineer, Facilities Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Operations Engineer, Plant Engineer.
How much do Industrial Engineers make?
10th percentile$74,370
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$83,600
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$102,440
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$129,250
Upper quartile
90th percentile$159,860
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $102,440 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $49.25/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $109,900 |
| People employed | 365,740 |
Versus all US occupations
At $102,440, Industrial Engineers earn 101% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $51,460 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
The median is typical for the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $102,440.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $159,860 or more while the bottom 10% earn $74,370, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 80% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alaska pays the most at $156,510, and still leads at $152,903 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Industrial Engineers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $156,510 | $152,903 | 220 |
| Washington | $129,050 | $120,593 | 6,130 |
| Oregon | $128,290 | $124,118 | 5,810 |
| New Mexico | $128,090 | $138,908 | 1,140 |
| California | $124,600 | $112,536 | 32,680 |
| Hawaii | $123,800 | $112,596 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $122,920 | $139,354 | 1,710 |
| Wyoming | $122,070 | $131,696 | 240 |
| Delaware | $120,190 | $120,421 | 820 |
| Maryland | $119,930 | $114,264 | 3,900 |
Is Industrial Engineer a growing career?
Industrial Engineers11.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+11.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Industrial Engineers to change 11.0% over 2024–2034, roughly 3.5× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 38,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 25,200 openings are projected each year, 7.2% of the 351,100 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
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.
Industrial engineers focus on reducing internal costs, making their work valuable in manufacturing and other industries, such as consulting and engineering services and research and development firms. As more companies look to lower costs, demand is expected to increase for industrial engineers to optimize production processes, manage supply chains and logistics, and provide expertise on automation.
How to become an Industrial Engineer
Industrial engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering or a related field, such as mechanical or electrical engineering.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as industrial engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree58.6%
- Some College Courses15.8%
- Master's Degree11.1%
- High School Diploma7.5%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate4.4%
What does an Industrial Engineer do?
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.
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.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, material, and utilities.
- Review production schedules, engineering specifications, orders, and related information to obtain knowledge of manufacturing methods, procedures, and activities.
- Record or oversee recording of information to ensure currency of engineering drawings and documentation of production problems.
- Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where industrial engineers work
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 15% |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14% |
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 12% |
| Machinery manufacturing | 8% |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 6% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Monitoring3.4/5
- Mathematics3.3/5
- Active Learning3.3/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.3/5
- Systems Evaluation3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
- Instructing3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Industrial Engineer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.0
Investigativeprimary5.0
Artistic1.6
Social1.4
Enterprising3.3
Conventionalprimary5.3
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Industrial Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Industrial Engineers make?
Industrial Engineers earn a median of $102,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 101% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $49.25/hr. The middle half earn between $83,600 and $129,250. The top 10% earn $159,860 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Industrial Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Industrial Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 58.6% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Industrial Engineer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 11.0% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 25,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Industrial Engineer do?
Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service. A core O*NET task: confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Computer aided design CAD software.
Which states pay Industrial Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Industrial Engineers are Alaska ($156,510), Washington ($129,050), Oregon ($128,290) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Industrial Engineer?
O*NET scores Industrial Engineers highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.