Industrial engineering technicians held about 68,300 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of industrial engineering technicians were as follows:
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 18% |
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 15 |
| Machinery manufacturing | 9 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 7 |
| Chemical manufacturing | 6 |
Industrial engineers usually ask industrial engineering technicians to help carry out certain studies and make specific observations. Consequently, these technicians typically work at the location where products are manufactured or where services are delivered.
Work Schedules
Industrial engineering technicians usually work standard schedules. Most work full time.
Industrial engineering technicians typically need an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate. Community colleges and technical institutes generally offer associate’s degree programs, and vocational–technical schools offer certificate programs.
Education
High school students interested in becoming industrial engineering technicians should take courses in math, science, and drafting, where available. Courses that help students develop computer skills are helpful when the students later need to learn computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing software, known as CAD/CAM.
Postsecondary programs in industrial engineering are offered at vocational–technical schools, technical institutes, and community colleges. Vocational–technical schools and technical institutes serve local students and emphasize training needed by local employers. These programs generally award a certificate. Community colleges offer programs similar to those in technical institutes, but usually include more theory-based and liberal arts courses. Students who complete these programs earn associate’s degrees.
ABET accredits engineering and engineering technology programs.
Generally, prospective industrial engineering technicians should major in applied science, industrial technology, or industrial engineering technology.
Industrial engineering technicians typically have an interest in the Building, Thinking and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Thinking interest area indicates a focus on researching, investigating, and increasing the understanding of natural laws. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Thinking or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as an industrial engineering technician, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Industrial engineering technicians should also possess the following specific qualities:
Analytical skills. Industrial engineering technicians must be able to help industrial engineers figure out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Communication skills. Industrial engineering technicians receive instructions from industrial engineers. They must be able to clearly understand and follow instructions and communicate problems to their supervisors.
Critical-thinking skills. Industrial engineering technicians must be able to help industrial engineers figure out why a certain process or operation is not working as well as it might. They must ask the right questions to identify and correct weaknesses.
Detail oriented. Industrial engineering technicians must gather and record measurements and observations needed by industrial engineers.
Math skills. Industrial engineering technicians use the principles of mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.
Observational skills. These technicians spend much of their time evaluating the performance of other people or organizations to make suggestions for improvements or corrective action. They must gather and record information without interfering with workers in their environments.
The median annual wage for industrial engineering technicians was $56,550 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,850, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $87,790.
In May 2019, the median annual wages for industrial engineering technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Chemical manufacturing | $59,710 |
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 59,050 |
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 58,470 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 58,210 |
| Machinery manufacturing | 54,410 |
Industrial engineering technicians usually work standard schedules. Most work full time.
Employment of industrial engineering technicians is projected to show little or no change from 2018 to 2028.
The growing emphasis on cost control through increased efficiency, along with their role in assisting with automation, is expected to sustain demand somewhat for industrial engineering technicians’ services.
However, this occupation’s employment is projected to show little or no change from 2018 to 2028 in large part because of the projected decreases in employment in the manufacturing industries in which these technicians work, such as computer and electronic product manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and primary metal manufacturing.
For more information about industrial engineering, visit
Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers
For more information about manufacturing engineering, visit
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
For information on general engineering education and career resources, visit
American Society for Engineering Education
Technology Student Association
For more information about accredited programs, visit