Industrial engineering technicians assist industrial engineers in devising efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service. They prepare machinery and equipment layouts, plan workflows, conduct statistical production studies, and analyze production costs.
Industrial engineering technicians typically do the following:
Industrial engineering technicians study the time and steps workers take to do a task (time and motion studies). To set reasonable production rates, they consider how workers perform operations such as maintenance, production, and service.
The versatility of industrial engineering technicians allows them to be useful in a variety of projects. For example, they work in supply chain management to help businesses minimize inventory costs, in quality assurance to help businesses keep their customers satisfied, and in the growing field of project management to control costs and maximize efficiencies.
Industrial engineering technicians generally work in teams under the supervision of industrial engineers.
Manufacturing engineering technicians are a type of industrial engineering technician whose work improves manufacturing processes to raise product quality and profitability. They plan, test, and custom make industrial products, and thus assist the engineers in implementing improvements in production and output. Specifically, they may assess prototypes, analyze performance of machinery, or try new methods of plant production.
Industrial engineering technicians held about 68,500 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of industrial engineering technicians were as follows:
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 17% |
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 15 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 9 |
| Machinery manufacturing | 8 |
| Chemical manufacturing | 8 |
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.
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.
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.
Analytical skills. Industrial engineering technicians must help industrial engineers figure out how systems 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 clearly understand and follow instructions and communicate problems to their supervisors.
Critical-thinking skills. Industrial engineering technicians must help industrial engineers figure out why certain processes or operations are not working as well as they 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 and then make suggestions for improvements or corrective action. They must gather and record information without interfering with workers in their environments.
Median annual wages, May 2019
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.
Percent change in employment, projected 2019-29
Employment of industrial engineering technicians is projected to grow 1 percent from 2019 to 2029, slower than the average for all occupations.
An emphasis on cost control through increased efficiency, along with industrial engineering technicians' role in assisting with automation, is expected to sustain demand somewhat for these workers.
However, overall employment growth of industrial engineering technicians in manufacturing—the industry in which most of them work—is projected to be slow.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2019 | Projected Employment, 2029 | Change, 2019-29 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
|||||||
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians |
17-3026 | 68,500 | 69,500 | 1 | 1,000 | Get data | |
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