Career
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
Help make production faster, safer and more efficient.
$66,120
Median pay
+3.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
6,600
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance.
- Oversee or inspect production processes.
- Identify opportunities for improvements in quality, cost, or efficiency of automation equipment.
- Develop or implement programs to address problems related to production, materials, safety, or quality.
- Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $66,120 a year and 6,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Applied Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCIP 15.0001
- Industrial Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0612
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0613
- Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, OtherCIP 15.0699
- Industrial Safety Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0703
- Process Safety Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0705
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Industrial Engineers$102,440 · +12.4%
- Manufacturing Engineers
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 · +1.3%
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians$67,820 · +4.8%
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 · +2.4%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.