Industrial Engineering: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 14.35. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 355 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 12 | 274 | $79,025 | $99,102 | $24,977 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 9 | 16 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 144 | 4,848 | $79,132 | $98,442 | $22,190 75 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 97 | 2,811 | $98,363 | $119,184 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 60 | 385 | $135,724 | $137,148 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 28 | 199 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky KY · Public · 47 graduates measured | $81,463 | $99,370 | $24,977 |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology SD · Public · 21 graduates measured | $77,073 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $95,993 | $138,720 | $13,992 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 67 graduates measured | $89,961 | $112,797 | $18,999 |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville AL · Public · 19 graduates measured | $88,803 | $95,153 | $20,500 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 177 graduates measured | $87,932 | $117,930 | $20,627 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $87,802 | $109,575 | Data unavailable |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $87,375 | $101,554 | $23,249 |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 41 graduates measured | $86,653 | $112,150 | $22,875 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 59 graduates measured | $86,353 | $94,382 | $17,500 |
| Kettering University MI · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $85,982 | $86,265 | $20,730 |
| University of Houston TX · Public · 30 graduates measured | $85,212 | $94,814 | $16,462 |
| Lehigh University PA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $84,946 | $121,498 | $19,000 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 165 graduates measured | $84,842 | $107,031 | $19,500 |
| Bradley University IL · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $84,017 | $89,362 | $27,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 70 graduates measured | $83,954 | $110,711 | $19,750 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $83,823 | $98,509 | $21,468 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson University SC · Public · 29 graduates measured | $129,363 | $136,058 | Data unavailable |
| Oregon State University OR · Public · 21 graduates measured | $118,916 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR · Public · 21 graduates measured | $118,916 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Auburn University AL · Public · 20 graduates measured | $114,498 | $113,866 | Data unavailable |
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 57 graduates measured | $111,454 | $139,590 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 32 graduates measured | $111,042 | $130,693 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn MI · Public · 25 graduates measured | $110,280 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville TN · Public · 36 graduates measured | $104,233 | $150,903 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $103,048 | $125,414 | Data unavailable |
| University at Buffalo NY · Public · 37 graduates measured | $99,127 | $102,080 | Data unavailable |
| University of Central Florida FL · Public · 47 graduates measured | $95,774 | $118,191 | Data unavailable |
| Binghamton University NY · Public · 31 graduates measured | $93,437 | $100,428 | Data unavailable |
| Rochester Institute of Technology NY · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $86,722 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $85,237 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Lehigh University PA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $83,939 | $120,033 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Industrial Engineering
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial production managers | $126,060 | +2.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial engineers | $102,440 | +12.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 14.3501 Industrial Engineering