What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do About this section
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians interpret schematic diagrams and formulas.
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians help engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production. They prepare machinery and equipment plans, design workflows, conduct statistical production studies, and analyze production costs.
Duties
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically do the following:
Suggest revisions to operation methods, material handling, or equipment layout
Interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, and formulas
Confer with management or engineering staff on quality and reliability standards
Help plan work assignments, considering factors such as machine capabilities and production schedules
Prepare charts, diagrams, and other graphs to illustrate workflow, routing, floor layouts, how materials are handled, and how machines are used
Collect data to assist in process improvement activities
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians study the time and steps workers take to do a task (time and motion studies). To set reasonable production rates, they analyze operations such as maintenance, production, and service.
The work of industrial engineering technologists and technicians is versatile and applicable to a variety of projects. For example, in supply chain management, they help businesses minimize inventory costs; in quality assurance, they help with customer satisfaction; and in project management, they help to control costs and maximize efficiencies.
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians generally work on teams under the supervision of industrial engineers.
Manufacturing engineering technologists and technicians work to raise production quality and profitability. By planning, testing, and custom making industrial products, they help engineers improve manufacturing processes and output. They may assess prototypes, analyze machinery performance, or try new production methods.
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians help carry out studies and make observations to assist industrial engineers.
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians held about 64,200 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of industrial engineering technologists and technicians were as follows:
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
20%
Transportation equipment manufacturing
14
Professional, scientific, and technical services
10
Machinery manufacturing
7
Chemical manufacturing
6
Industrial engineers usually ask industrial engineering technologists and technicians to help carry out studies and draw conclusions. Consequently, these technologists and technicians typically work at the location where products are manufactured or services are provided.
Work Schedules
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians usually work a standard schedule. Most work full time.
How to Become an Industrial Engineering Technologist or Technician About this section
Becoming an industrial engineering technologist or technician usually requires either an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation.
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation. 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 technologists and technicians should take courses in math, science, and drafting, where available.
Postsecondary programs in industrial engineering technology are offered at vocational–technical schools, technical institutes, and community colleges. Vocational–technical schools typically award a certificate. Community colleges programs usually lead to associate’s degrees.
Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have completed an engineering or engineering technology program accredited by ABET.
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians may choose to major in applied science, industrial technology, or industrial engineering technology. These programs may include instruction in computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing software, known as CAD/CAM.
Important Qualities
Analytical skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians assess changes in conditions, operations, and the environment to help industrial engineers figure out how systems should work.
Communication skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians must listen carefully to instructions from engineers and must clearly articulate problems to their supervisors.
Critical-thinking skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians must identify and correct weaknesses to help industrial engineers solve problems.
Detail oriented. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians must record precisely what they measure and observe.
Math skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics and statistical techniques to analyze data collected from studies.
Observational skills. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians closely watch the performance of people or organizations so that they can suggest improvements.
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Median annual wages, May 2021
Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians
$60,290
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
$60,220
Total, all occupations
$45,760
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
The median annual wage for industrial engineering technologists and technicians was $60,220 in May 2021.
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 $37,790, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $85,530.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for industrial engineering technologists and technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Chemical manufacturing
$61,740
Professional, scientific, and technical services
61,010
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
60,360
Transportation equipment manufacturing
60,220
Machinery manufacturing
59,970
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians usually work standard schedules. Most work full time.
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Total, all occupations
5%
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
3%
Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians
0%
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Employment of industrial engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow 3 percent from 2021 to 2031, slower than the average for all occupations.
Despite limited employment growth, about 6,600 openings for industrial engineering technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most 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.
Employment
An emphasis on cost control through increased efficiency, along with industrial engineering technologists and technicians' role in assisting with automation, is expected to sustain demand for these workers.
Employment projections data for industrial engineering technologists and technicians, 2021-31
Occupational Title
SOC Code
Employment, 2021
Projected Employment, 2031
Change, 2021-31
Employment by Industry
Percent
Numeric
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians