Improves how long plant equipment runs between failures by analyzing breakdowns and designing smarter maintenance strategies. BLS does not publish separate figures for industrial engineers; it counts them within industrial engineer (SOC 17-2112), whose median pay is $102,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 17-2112
- Architecture and Engineering
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Maintenance and Reliability Engineer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $102,440a year, or $49.25/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $74KTop 10% $160K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +12.4%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+12.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +12.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 23,100365,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025365.1K
- Projected 2035410.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 365.1K Projected 2035 410.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school7.5%
- Some college15.8%
- Associate's2.6%
- Bachelor's58.6%
- Post-bacc certificate4.4%
- Master's11.1%
Highest education held by industrial engineers Segment Value High school 7.5% Some college 15.8% Associate's 2.6% Bachelor's 58.6% Post-bacc certificate 4.4% Master's 11.1%
Also advertised as: Plant Reliability Engineer, Asset Reliability Engineer, Equipment Reliability Engineer, Mechanical Integrity Engineer.
Pay
How much do Industrial Engineers make?
Every maintenance and reliability engineer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$102,440
Middle half earn $83,600 to $129,250
- 10th
- $74,370
- 25th
- $83,600
- 75th
- $129,250
- 90th
- $159,860
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $74,370 |
| 25th | $83,600 |
| Median | $102,440 |
| 75th | $129,250 |
| 90th | $159,860 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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 $104,110.
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 76% of the 1,741 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.
Pay by state
Which states pay Industrial Engineers the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $156,510 | $152,903 | 220 |
| 2Washington | $129,050 | $120,593 | 6,130 |
| 3Oregon | $128,290 | $124,118 | 5,810 |
| 4New Mexico | $128,090 | $138,908 | 1,140 |
| 5California | $124,600 | $112,536 | 32,680 |
| 6Hawaii | $123,800 | $112,596 | 50 |
| 7Louisiana | $122,920 | $139,354 | 1,710 |
| 8Wyoming | $122,070 | $131,696 | 240 |
| 9Delaware | $120,190 | $120,421 | 820 |
| 10Maryland | $119,930 | $114,264 | 3,900 |
Job outlook
Is Maintenance and Reliability Engineer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +12.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial Engineers | +12.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Industrial Engineers to change 12.4% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.5× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 45,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 23,100 openings are projected each year, 6.3% of the 365,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Maintenance and Reliability Engineer
A bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial or chemical engineering is typical, and many reliability engineers start as plant or maintenance engineers. Statistics and failure analysis skills are central.
The Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals offers the Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional credential, and ASQ offers the Certified Reliability Engineer. Vibration analysis certifications are a common add-on. Familiarity with computerized maintenance management systems is expected. Engineers who combine data skills with hands-on knowledge of machinery often advance to reliability manager or maintenance manager.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
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 Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)7.5%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate4.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 58.6% |
| Some College Courses | 15.8% |
| Master's Degree | 11.1% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 7.5% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Maintenance and Reliability Engineer do?
Maintenance and reliability engineers work to keep plant equipment running and reduce unplanned downtime. They analyze failure data, lead root cause investigations, and decide which machines need preventive, predictive or condition-based maintenance.
They set up programs for vibration analysis, oil analysis and thermography, rank equipment by criticality, and work with maintenance planners and operations to change practices. They are found in refineries, chemical plants, mines, power plants and large factories. They also track reliability metrics and help justify equipment replacements.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze equipment failure data and trends
- Lead root cause failure analyses
- Rank equipment by criticality
- Design preventive and predictive maintenance programs
- Set up vibration, oil and thermography monitoring
- Work with planners to improve maintenance practices
- Track reliability metrics and report results
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Reliability engineers split time between plant offices and equipment areas, which can be hot, noisy and dirty. Hours are mostly regular, with call-outs for major failures and long days during shutdowns. Engineers often join daily maintenance meetings and walk the plant to see equipment firsthand. Some roles cover several sites and involve regular travel between them.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Writing3.8
- Monitoring3.4
- Mathematics3.3
- Active Learning3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Mathematics | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Systems Analysis3.3
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Instructing3.0
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.3 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
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.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Maintenance and Reliability Engineer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRC) built on O*NET's Industrial Engineer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Maintenance and Reliability Engineer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
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.
- Conventional5.3
- Investigative5.3
- Realistic5.1
- Enterprising3.3
- Artistic1.6
- Social1.4
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Maintenance and Reliability Engineer
O*NET related occupations
- Architecture and Engineering
- Architecture and Engineering
Industrial Engineering Technologist and Technician
$66,120median a year
Most earn $47K to $99K
+3.1%Associate's - Architecture and Engineering
- Management
- Architecture and Engineering
- Architecture and Engineering
More architecture and engineering careers
Median annual pay, with industrial engineers highlighted
- Aerospace Engineer$134,960
- Electrical Engineer$120,630
- Environmental Engineer$107,110
- Mechanical Engineer$104,110
- Automotive Engineer$104,110
- Industrial Engineer$102,440
- Maintenance and Reliability Engineer$102,440
- Civil Engineer$100,840
- Architect$99,280
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 |
| Automotive Engineer | $104,110 |
| Industrial Engineer | $102,440 |
| Maintenance and Reliability Engineer | $102,440 |
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 |
| Architect | $99,280 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Maintenance and Reliability Engineer appears on
Questions
Maintenance and Reliability Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Industrial Engineers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for industrial engineers. It counts them within industrial engineer, whose median pay is $102,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $83,600 and $129,250, and the top 10% earn $159,860 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Maintenance and Reliability 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 Maintenance and Reliability Engineer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 12.4% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 23,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Maintenance and Reliability Engineer do?
Maintenance and reliability engineers work to keep plant equipment running and reduce unplanned downtime. A typical task: analyze equipment failure data and trends. 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 a Maintenance and Reliability 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 1,731 careers in the bank.