Industrial Engineers
Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112) earn a median $102,440 a year ($49.25 an hour) in the United States, with 365,740 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Alaska.
What industrial engineers do
Industrial engineers design and improve integrated systems for producing goods and delivering services. They look at how people, materials, equipment, and information flow through a production process, and work to remove waste and raise quality. Typical tasks include estimating the production costs of a product design or process change, planning the sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts, and analyzing statistical data and product specifications to set quality standards and control methods. Industrial engineers also confer with clients, vendors, and management about purchases, product capabilities, and manufacturing methods, and they study material flow and inventory. The occupation excludes health and safety engineers, who focus on preventing injury and illness, and it differs from management analysts, who advise on business organization without engineering design of production systems. It is also distinct from industrial production managers, who run the operations that industrial engineers help design. They also recommend ways to make better use of personnel, materials, and utilities, and they keep engineering drawings and documentation current.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Continuous Improvement Engineer, Efficiency Engineer, Efficiency Analyst, Documentation Engineer, District Plant Engineer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $35.76 | $40.19 | $49.25 | $62.14 | $76.85 | $52.84 | 365,740 |
| Annual | $74,370 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 | $159,860 | $109,900 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where industrial engineers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $36.05 | $56.31 | $75.25 | $89.80 | $105.24 | $75.58 | 220 | 0.67 | 0.28 |
| Annual | $74,980 | $117,120 | $156,510 | $186,790 | $218,900 | $157,200 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $40.87 | $49.23 | $62.04 | $74.96 | $84.95 | $62.13 | 6,130 | 1.73 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $85,010 | $102,400 | $129,050 | $155,920 | $176,700 | $129,220 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $39.51 | $48.48 | $61.68 | $79.70 | $95.66 | $64.28 | 5,810 | 2.95 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $82,170 | $100,850 | $128,290 | $165,780 | $198,960 | $133,700 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $39.48 | $46.55 | $61.58 | $77.04 | $81.00 | $62.80 | 1,140 | 1.31 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $82,110 | $96,810 | $128,090 | $160,240 | $168,490 | $130,630 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $37.45 | $47.30 | $59.90 | $74.13 | $83.11 | $60.51 | 32,680 | 1.79 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $77,900 | $98,380 | $124,600 | $154,190 | $172,870 | $125,850 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $37.45 | $47.30 | $59.90 | $74.13 | $83.11 | $60.51 | 32,680 | 1.79 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $77,900 | $98,380 | $124,600 | $154,190 | $172,870 | $125,850 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $35.61 | $39.83 | $48.89 | $61.22 | $67.37 | $50.75 | 30,990 | 7.04 | 2.99 |
| Annual | $74,060 | $82,850 | $101,680 | $127,330 | $140,140 | $105,550 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $32.45 | $41.55 | $50.27 | $64.18 | $81.09 | $55.21 | 30,980 | 2.20 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $67,490 | $86,410 | $104,560 | $133,490 | $168,670 | $114,840 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $35.64 | $39.11 | $48.10 | $59.57 | $65.57 | $49.87 | 23,480 | 4.23 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $74,130 | $81,350 | $100,060 | $123,900 | $136,390 | $103,740 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $35.47 | $39.28 | $48.34 | $60.20 | $74.83 | $50.87 | 18,640 | 3.06 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $73,780 | $81,710 | $100,540 | $125,210 | $155,650 | $105,820 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Anchorage, AK | Hourly | $51.68 | $66.05 | $82.65 | $99.20 | $105.24 | $81.44 | 110 | 0.64 | 0.27 |
| Annual | $107,490 | $137,370 | $171,910 | $206,330 | $218,900 | $169,380 | ||||
| Charleston, WV | Hourly | $41.83 | $62.76 | $69.16 | $78.41 | $82.31 | $67.58 | 160 | 1.53 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $87,010 | $130,540 | $143,860 | $163,090 | $171,210 | $140,560 | ||||
| Midland, TX | Hourly | $40.15 | $50.21 | $67.85 | $84.49 | $109.47 | $72.84 | 320 | 2.62 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $83,500 | $104,430 | $141,120 | $175,750 | $227,690 | $151,520 | ||||
| Lexington Park, MD | Hourly | $48.90 | $53.80 | $67.12 | $81.01 | $93.84 | $67.93 | 160 | 2.30 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $101,720 | $111,900 | $139,600 | $168,500 | $195,190 | $141,280 | ||||
| Billings, MT | Hourly | $39.56 | $48.48 | $67.03 | $80.99 | $100.26 | $66.24 | 110 | 1.12 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $82,280 | $100,840 | $139,420 | $168,460 | $208,530 | $137,790 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $37.91 | $41.36 | $50.06 | $63.08 | $72.32 | $53.06 | 17,350 | 9.11 | 3.87 |
| Annual | $78,860 | $86,020 | $104,110 | $131,200 | $150,430 | $110,360 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $37.85 | $43.54 | $50.35 | $62.51 | $77.41 | $54.20 | 13,970 | 7.16 | 3.04 |
| Annual | $78,730 | $90,570 | $104,730 | $130,010 | $161,020 | $112,740 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $35.78 | $39.55 | $48.92 | $60.86 | $74.75 | $51.46 | 12,750 | 2.83 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $74,420 | $82,260 | $101,760 | $126,580 | $155,480 | $107,040 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $37.65 | $46.59 | $54.34 | $64.87 | $79.85 | $58.31 | 11,460 | 1.83 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $78,320 | $96,910 | $113,040 | $134,930 | $166,090 | $121,280 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $37.33 | $44.72 | $50.79 | $63.86 | $79.83 | $54.88 | 10,680 | 2.64 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $77,640 | $93,020 | $105,640 | $132,830 | $166,050 | $114,160 | ||||
Top industries employing industrial engineers
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing employ 7.0% of industrial engineers nationally (25,680 jobs) at a median $107,170 a year ($51.52 an hour), followed by Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (7.0%) and Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (5.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 25,680 | 7.0% | $107,170 | $51.52 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 25,420 | 7.0% | $104,600 | $50.29 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing NAICS 334400 | 20,060 | 5.5% | $108,110 | $51.97 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) NAICS 3330A1 | 18,200 | 5.0% | $98,830 | $47.52 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336300 | 17,250 | 4.7% | $96,890 | $46.58 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (365,740). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $95,300 for industrial engineers in May 2021 and $102,440 in May 2025, with employment of 293,950 and 365,740.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $95,300 | $45.82 | 293,950 |
| May 2022 | $96,350 | $46.32 | 321,400 |
| May 2023 | $99,380 | $47.78 | 332,870 |
| May 2024 | $101,140 | $48.63 | 350,230 |
| May 2025 | $102,440 | $49.25 | 365,740 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska profile | $75.25 | $156,510 | $74,980 | $218,900 | 220 | 0.67 | 0.28 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $62.04 | $129,050 | $85,010 | $176,700 | 6,130 | 1.73 | 0.73 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $61.68 | $128,290 | $82,170 | $198,960 | 5,810 | 2.95 | 1.26 |
| 4 | New Mexico profile | $61.58 | $128,090 | $82,110 | $168,490 | 1,140 | 1.31 | 0.56 |
| 5 | California profile | $59.90 | $124,600 | $77,900 | $172,870 | 32,680 | 1.79 | 0.76 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $59.52 | $123,800 | $86,550 | $158,880 | 50 | 0.09 | 0.04 |
| 7 | Louisiana profile | $59.09 | $122,920 | $78,540 | $173,670 | 1,710 | 0.88 | 0.38 |
| 8 | Wyoming profile | $58.69 | $122,070 | $76,000 | $174,980 | 240 | 0.86 | 0.36 |
| 9 | Delaware profile | $57.79 | $120,190 | $81,160 | $154,450 | 820 | 1.69 | 0.72 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $57.66 | $119,930 | $80,650 | $168,100 | 3,900 | 1.41 | 0.60 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $52.77 | $109,750 | $80,480 | $159,990 | 5,200 | 1.81 | 0.77 |
| 12 | Massachusetts profile | $52.61 | $109,420 | $81,960 | $161,870 | 11,470 | 3.15 | 1.34 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | $52.57 | $109,350 | $79,370 | $159,400 | 990 | 1.98 | 0.84 |
| 14 | West Virginia profile | $52.10 | $108,360 | $76,180 | $163,090 | 850 | 1.21 | 0.51 |
| 15 | Arizona profile | $52.06 | $108,280 | $77,950 | $170,800 | 7,520 | 2.32 | 0.99 |
| 16 | Texas profile | $50.27 | $104,560 | $67,490 | $168,670 | 30,980 | 2.20 | 0.94 |
| 17 | Montana profile | $50.21 | $104,430 | $76,920 | $175,660 | 390 | 0.76 | 0.33 |
| 18 | Connecticut profile | $50.08 | $104,160 | $77,810 | $141,540 | 6,020 | 3.55 | 1.51 |
| 19 | Utah profile | $49.97 | $103,940 | $75,130 | $140,930 | 5,520 | 3.18 | 1.35 |
| 20 | New Jersey profile | $49.93 | $103,840 | $78,100 | $161,740 | 6,870 | 1.60 | 0.68 |
| 21 | District of Columbia profile | $49.66 | $103,300 | $81,240 | $153,520 | 160 | 0.23 | 0.10 |
| 22 | Vermont profile | $49.52 | $103,010 | $80,740 | $138,710 | 440 | 1.46 | 0.62 |
| 23 | Minnesota profile | $49.35 | $102,660 | $77,010 | $158,740 | 17,580 | 5.96 | 2.53 |
| 24 | New York profile | $49.34 | $102,640 | $77,030 | $152,780 | 11,810 | 1.22 | 0.52 |
| 25 | Virginia profile | $49.30 | $102,550 | $69,880 | $157,160 | 5,580 | 1.36 | 0.58 |
| 26 | Nevada profile | $49.08 | $102,090 | $63,200 | $130,350 | 1,570 | 1.01 | 0.43 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $48.89 | $101,680 | $74,060 | $140,140 | 30,990 | 7.04 | 2.99 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $48.85 | $101,610 | $68,850 | $156,560 | 14,050 | 1.42 | 0.60 |
| 29 | New Hampshire profile | $48.71 | $101,310 | $78,430 | $155,010 | 1,940 | 2.84 | 1.21 |
| 30 | South Carolina profile | $48.59 | $101,060 | $75,000 | $136,720 | 7,960 | 3.45 | 1.47 |
| 31 | Maine profile | $48.57 | $101,030 | $76,490 | $170,060 | 1,030 | 1.60 | 0.68 |
| 32 | Idaho profile | $48.48 | $100,840 | $67,100 | $149,390 | 1,330 | 1.55 | 0.66 |
| 33 | Illinois profile | $48.34 | $100,540 | $73,780 | $155,650 | 18,640 | 3.06 | 1.30 |
| 34 | Georgia profile | $48.12 | $100,100 | $73,360 | $139,860 | 8,940 | 1.83 | 0.78 |
| 35 | Ohio profile | $48.10 | $100,060 | $74,130 | $136,390 | 23,480 | 4.23 | 1.80 |
| 36 | Alabama profile | $48.02 | $99,880 | $68,410 | $152,970 | 7,650 | 3.62 | 1.54 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $48.00 | $99,830 | $66,810 | $152,410 | 3,450 | 2.40 | 1.02 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania profile | $47.87 | $99,560 | $69,700 | $143,210 | 13,180 | 2.17 | 0.92 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | $47.74 | $99,310 | $68,930 | $139,110 | 11,580 | 2.34 | 1.00 |
| 40 | Missouri profile | $47.74 | $99,290 | $65,880 | $143,950 | 5,070 | 1.73 | 0.73 |
| 41 | Tennessee profile | $47.64 | $99,080 | $72,200 | $132,040 | 7,440 | 2.27 | 0.96 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $47.31 | $98,410 | $71,880 | $137,520 | 1,710 | 1.31 | 0.56 |
| 43 | Nebraska profile | $47.20 | $98,170 | $71,150 | $133,500 | 1,160 | 1.13 | 0.48 |
| 44 | Iowa profile | $46.96 | $97,690 | $72,380 | $133,610 | 3,600 | 2.31 | 0.98 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $46.88 | $97,510 | $71,880 | $148,480 | 2,170 | 1.27 | 0.54 |
| 46 | Indiana profile | $46.86 | $97,480 | $64,770 | $131,720 | 11,680 | 3.65 | 1.55 |
| 47 | Wisconsin profile | $46.62 | $96,980 | $71,800 | $134,030 | 13,070 | 4.44 | 1.89 |
| 48 | North Dakota profile | $46.61 | $96,940 | $56,770 | $132,110 | 600 | 1.40 | 0.59 |
| 49 | Kentucky profile | $46.55 | $96,820 | $65,980 | $135,720 | 6,070 | 3.03 | 1.29 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $46.07 | $95,830 | $65,510 | $130,150 | 2,450 | 2.11 | 0.90 |
| 51 | South Dakota profile | $44.81 | $93,200 | $69,310 | $128,500 | 830 | 1.81 | 0.77 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (17-2110), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-2112 Industrial Engineers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-2112, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-2112.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.