Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
17-3026.00
Updated 2026

Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency.

Sample of reported job titles: Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech), Industrial Engineering Analyst, Industrial Engineering Technician (Industrial Engineering Tech), Industrial Technician (Industrial Tech), Manufacturing Coordinator, PLC Tech (Programmable Logic Controller Technician), QC Engineering Technician (Quality Control Engineering Technician), Quality Management Coordinator

Also see: Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • 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.
  • Create or interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, formulas, or blueprints for management or engineering staff.
  • Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.
  • Recommend corrective or preventive actions to assure or improve product quality or reliability.
  • Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications.
  • Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance.
  • Select material quantities or processing methods needed to achieve efficient production.
  • Monitor and adjust production processes or equipment for quality and productivity.
  • Assist engineers in developing, building, or testing prototypes or new products, processes, or procedures.
  • Prepare layouts, drawings, or sketches of machinery or equipment, such as shop tooling, scale layouts, or new equipment design, using drafting equipment or computer-aided design (CAD) software.
  • Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
  • Provide advice or training to other technicians.
  • Analyze, estimate, or report production costs.
  • Prepare production documents, such as standard operating procedures, manufacturing batch records, inventory reports, or productivity reports.
  • Coordinate equipment purchases, installations, or transfers.
  • Select cleaning materials, tools, or equipment.
  • Calibrate or adjust equipment to ensure quality production, using tools such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, protractors, or ring gauges.
  • Set up and operate production equipment in accordance with current good manufacturing practices and standard operating procedures.
  • Evaluate industrial operations for compliance with permits or regulations related to the generation, storage, treatment, transportation, or disposal of hazardous materials or waste.
  • Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable and nonsustainable designs.
  • Oversee equipment start-up, characterization, qualification, or release.
  • Develop manufacturing infrastructure to integrate or deploy new manufacturing processes.
  • Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays.
  • Develop production, inventory, or quality assurance programs.
  • Develop sustainable manufacturing technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize raw material use, replace toxic materials with non-toxic materials, replace non-renewable materials with renewable materials, or reduce waste.
  • Design plant layouts or production facilities.
Find occupations related to multiple tasks

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
  • Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Detailed Work Activities

Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities

Work Context

  • E-Mail — 86% responded “Every day.”
  • Telephone Conversations — 76% responded “Every day.”
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team — 65% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams — 71% responded “Every day.”
  • Contact With Others — 55% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 51% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals — 51% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — 65% responded “Every day.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 69% responded “Every day.”
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 46% responded “Every day.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities — 46% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 54% responded “40 hours.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 66% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 37% responded “Very important results.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 39% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 41% responded “Every day.”
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers — 44% responded “Very high responsibility.”
  • Time Pressure — 34% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Consequence of Error — 50% responded “Serious.”
  • Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers — 46% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
  • Physical Proximity — 38% responded “Slightly close (e.g., shared office).”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 37% responded “About half the time.”
  • Exposed to Contaminants — 36% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 31% responded “About half the time.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
SVP Range
(6.0 to < 7.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
Find certifications nationwide

Apprenticeship Opportunities

Example apprenticeship titles for this occupation:

  • 3d Printing Technician
  • Additive Manufacturing Technician
  • Additive Manufacturing Technician (Nof)
  • Industrial Engineering Technician
  • Industrial Manufacturing Technician
  • Industrial Manufacturing Technician (Nof)
  • Quality Control Technician

Specific title(s) listed above are vetted by industry and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor for use in a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Start your career and build your skillset. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to learn about opportunities related to this occupation.

Worker Requirements

Software Skills

Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.
In Demand skills are frequently included in employer job postings for this occupation.

Essential Skills

  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Transferable Skills

  • Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
  • Technology Design — Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.
  • Operations Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Knowledge

  • Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
  • Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Administrative — Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  • Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 37%
     
    Some college, no degree required

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Interests

Interest code: RCI
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  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
    • Engineering — Work involves applying science and technology to the design, building, testing, and use of electrical and electronic components, mechanical devices and machines, automotive, marine, and aerospace equipment and vehicles, materials, or structures.
    • Mechanics/Electronics — Work involves maintaining and repairing of machinery, such as automotive engines, electronic equipment, computers, and communication systems.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
    • Mathematics/Statistics — Work involves developing and applying mathematics and statistical theory and methods.
  • Investigative — Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
    • Mathematics/Statistics — Work involves developing and applying mathematics and statistical theory and methods.

Work Styles

  • Attention to Detail — A tendency to be detail-oriented, organized, and thorough in completing work.
  • Dependability — A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2025)
$31.79 hourly, $66,120 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2024)
74,600 employees
Projected growth (2024-2034)
Slower than average (1% to 2%)
Projected job openings (2024-2034)
6,300
State trends
Top industries (2024)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 wage data and 2024-2034 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2024-2034). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

More Information

Professional Associations

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National Associations
Accreditation, Certification, & Unions