Industrial engineers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $74,370 | $35.76 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $102,440 | $49.25 |
| Mean (average) | $109,900 | $52.84 |
| 90th percentile | $159,860 | $76.85 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Industrial engineers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $99,880 | $68,410 | $152,970 | 7,650 | 1.54 |
| Alaska | $156,510 | $74,980 | $218,900 | 220 | 0.28 |
| Arizona | $108,280 | $77,950 | $170,800 | 7,520 | 0.99 |
| Arkansas | $98,410 | $71,880 | $137,520 | 1,710 | 0.56 |
| California | $124,600 | $77,900 | $172,870 | 32,680 | 0.76 |
| Colorado | $109,750 | $80,480 | $159,990 | 5,200 | 0.77 |
| Connecticut | $104,160 | $77,810 | $141,540 | 6,020 | 1.51 |
| Delaware | $120,190 | $81,160 | $154,450 | 820 | 0.72 |
| District of Columbia | $103,300 | $81,240 | $153,520 | 160 | 0.1 |
| Florida | $101,610 | $68,850 | $156,560 | 14,050 | 0.6 |
| Georgia | $100,100 | $73,360 | $139,860 | 8,940 | 0.78 |
| Hawaii | $123,800 | $86,550 | $158,880 | 50 | 0.04 |
| Idaho | $100,840 | $67,100 | $149,390 | 1,330 | 0.66 |
| Illinois | $100,540 | $73,780 | $155,650 | 18,640 | 1.3 |
| Indiana | $97,480 | $64,770 | $131,720 | 11,680 | 1.55 |
| Iowa | $97,690 | $72,380 | $133,610 | 3,600 | 0.98 |
| Kansas | $99,830 | $66,810 | $152,410 | 3,450 | 1.02 |
| Kentucky | $96,820 | $65,980 | $135,720 | 6,070 | 1.29 |
| Louisiana | $122,920 | $78,540 | $173,670 | 1,710 | 0.38 |
| Maine | $101,030 | $76,490 | $170,060 | 1,030 | 0.68 |
| Maryland | $119,930 | $80,650 | $168,100 | 3,900 | 0.6 |
| Massachusetts | $109,420 | $81,960 | $161,870 | 11,470 | 1.34 |
| Michigan | $101,680 | $74,060 | $140,140 | 30,990 | 2.99 |
| Minnesota | $102,660 | $77,010 | $158,740 | 17,580 | 2.53 |
| Mississippi | $95,830 | $65,510 | $130,150 | 2,450 | 0.9 |
| Missouri | $99,290 | $65,880 | $143,950 | 5,070 | 0.73 |
| Montana | $104,430 | $76,920 | $175,660 | 390 | 0.33 |
| Nebraska | $98,170 | $71,150 | $133,500 | 1,160 | 0.48 |
| Nevada | $102,090 | $63,200 | $130,350 | 1,570 | 0.43 |
| New Hampshire | $101,310 | $78,430 | $155,010 | 1,940 | 1.21 |
| New Jersey | $103,840 | $78,100 | $161,740 | 6,870 | 0.68 |
| New Mexico | $128,090 | $82,110 | $168,490 | 1,140 | 0.56 |
| New York | $102,640 | $77,030 | $152,780 | 11,810 | 0.52 |
| North Carolina | $99,310 | $68,930 | $139,110 | 11,580 | 1 |
| North Dakota | $96,940 | $56,770 | $132,110 | 600 | 0.59 |
| Ohio | $100,060 | $74,130 | $136,390 | 23,480 | 1.8 |
| Oklahoma | $97,510 | $71,880 | $148,480 | 2,170 | 0.54 |
| Oregon | $128,290 | $82,170 | $198,960 | 5,810 | 1.26 |
| Pennsylvania | $99,560 | $69,700 | $143,210 | 13,180 | 0.92 |
| Puerto Rico | $81,820 | $55,700 | $127,860 | 2,750 | 1.25 |
| Rhode Island | $109,350 | $79,370 | $159,400 | 990 | 0.84 |
| South Carolina | $101,060 | $75,000 | $136,720 | 7,960 | 1.47 |
| South Dakota | $93,200 | $69,310 | $128,500 | 830 | 0.77 |
| Tennessee | $99,080 | $72,200 | $132,040 | 7,440 | 0.96 |
| Texas | $104,560 | $67,490 | $168,670 | 30,980 | 0.94 |
| Utah | $103,940 | $75,130 | $140,930 | 5,520 | 1.35 |
| Vermont | $103,010 | $80,740 | $138,710 | 440 | 0.62 |
| Virginia | $102,550 | $69,880 | $157,160 | 5,580 | 0.58 |
| Washington | $129,050 | $85,010 | $176,700 | 6,130 | 0.73 |
| West Virginia | $108,360 | $76,180 | $163,090 | 850 | 0.51 |
| Wisconsin | $96,980 | $71,800 | $134,030 | 13,070 | 1.89 |
| Wyoming | $122,070 | $76,000 | $174,980 | 240 | 0.36 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for industrial engineers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 23,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.3%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for industrial engineers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Systems Engineering CIP 14.2701
- Industrial Engineering CIP 14.3501
- Manufacturing Engineering CIP 14.3601
- Engineering/Industrial Management CIP 15.1501
- Packaging Science CIP 15.1503
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
- Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
- Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
- Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, material, and utilities.
- Record or oversee recording of information to ensure currency of engineering drawings and documentation of production problems.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- SAP software (in demand)
- Structured query language SQL (in demand)
- Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- C++ (hot technology)
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- GitHub (hot technology)
- JUnit (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness.
Common job titles: Continuous Improvement Engineer, Engineer, Facilities Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Operations Engineer, Plant Engineer, Process Engineer, Project Engineer, Quality Engineer, Research and Development Engineer (R and D Engineer).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do industrial engineers make?
The national median annual wage for industrial engineers was $102,440 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $74,370 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $159,860. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do industrial engineers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is industrial engineers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of industrial engineers to change +12.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 23,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay industrial engineers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($156,510), Washington ($129,050), Oregon ($128,290). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.