What is the salary and career path for a industrial engineer?
Industrial engineer is an exact match to Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112); the OEWS May 2025 median is $102,440 a year ($49.25 an hour), from $74,370 at the 10th percentile to $159,860 at the 90th. BLS projects 11% employment growth for the code over 2024–2034 — faster than average — with about 25,200 openings a year. The role requires a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering (or a related field), and advancement is supported by the PE license and Six Sigma certification rather than a mandatory license to practice.
- Industrial Engineers earn a national median $102,440/yr ($49.25/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112); the top 10% clear $159,860.
- It is an exact-match role: BLS Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112) is the code, at a $102,440 median, and the same code that captures manufacturing, process and quality engineers who share the IE toolkit.
- A four-year ABET industrial-engineering degree is required; the PE license and ASQ Six Sigma certification support advancement but are not mandatory to practice in industry.
- BLS projects 11% growth for SOC 17-2112 through 2034 — faster than average — with about 25,200 openings a year; the ladder runs associate IE ($74,370) to industrial engineer ($102,440 median) to senior IE ($129,250) to CI/IE manager ($159,860 top decile).
Career Path
How do you become a industrial engineer?
Junior / associate industrial engineer
Running time studies, updating standard work and supporting layout and line-balancing projects; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $74,370 for SOC 17-2112.
Industrial engineer
Owning process-improvement, work-measurement and facility-design projects around the $102,440 median for the code.
Senior industrial engineer
Leading large lean/Six Sigma projects and mentoring engineers pays toward the 75th percentile of $129,250.
IE / continuous-improvement manager
Running the industrial-engineering or CI function reaches the 90th percentile of $159,860.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays industrial engineers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112. National median: $102,440. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does industrial engineer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles industrial engineers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: industrial engineers rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +11% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly industrial engineers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112 (industrial engineers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do industrial engineers need?
A four-year IE degree (ABET-accredited) is the standard entry requirement, covering operations research, work measurement and statistics. See all state licences →
The Professional Engineer license, earned via the FE and PE exams and experience, supports consulting and senior/sign-off roles though it is not required for most industry jobs.
CSSGB/CSSBB certification formalizing DMAIC, DOE and statistical process improvement — highly valued in IE roles.
A lean-manufacturing or lean-Six-Sigma credential covering value-stream mapping, standard work and waste reduction.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do industrial engineers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 17-2112
Salary Levers
How do industrial engineers earn above the $102,440 BLS median?
Industry and location
Semiconductor, aerospace and tech-hub employers pay above general manufacturing, moving from the $74,370 band toward the $102,440 median
Six Sigma black belt
A black belt leading measurable savings projects moves pay toward the $129,250 seventy-fifth percentile
PE license and specialization
The PE plus operations-research or automation specialization commands a premium in senior roles
Move into CI leadership
Running the industrial-engineering or continuous-improvement function is what reaches the $159,860 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming an industrial engineer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Industrial Engineer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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