Industrial Engineers
Industrial Engineers earn an average annual salary of $130,739, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Industrial Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
25,830 Workforce in 2023
The Industrial Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Industrial Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$130,739 Average Wage
In 2023, Industrial Engineers earned an average of $130,739.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Industrial Engineers.
Salary distribution for Industrial Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
2.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
112,094 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 10.3%
123,672 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 21.7%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Industrial Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Industrial Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Industrial Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Industrial Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Industrial Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Industrial Engineers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 24,720 employees, $131,024 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Industrial Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 6,000 employees, $124,371 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 3,850 employees, $149,413 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 3,110 employees, $125,367 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,900 employees, $123,200 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 2,390 employees, $139,119 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 2,150 employees, $150,479 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,300 employees, $112,630 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 640 employees, $123,806 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 370 employees, $111,829 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 300 employees, $125,501 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Industrial Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Industrial Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Industrial Engineers in 2023 was 25,830 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Industrial Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Industrial Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Industrial Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Industrial Engineers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Industrial Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Industrial Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Industrial Engineers.
Skills
Industrial Engineers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking.
Required skills for Industrial Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Industrial Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Industrial Engineers include Engineering and Technology, Production and Processing, Mechanical, Design, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Industrial Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Industrial Engineers include Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Industrial Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Industrial Engineers.
Daily Activities
Industrial Engineers spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Thinking Creatively.
Most important work activities for Industrial Engineers.
About
Industrial Engineers
The average yearly wage for Industrial Engineers was $130,739 in 2023.
SOC Code
17-2112 - Industrial Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Industrial Engineers reports an average salary of $130,739, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 25,830 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.