Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
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.
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. The role reports a median annual salary of $64,790 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.60 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Monitoring.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £36,102 a year for Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £29,401 to £46,772 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3119). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Industrial engineering technologists and technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Design
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Physics
A day in the life
You start the morning on the production floor, pulling samples from the line and testing them against the specification. Back at your desk you enter the results and update the quality charts to see whether anything is drifting. Mid-morning you stand beside a packing station with a stopwatch, timing each step to set a fair work standard and spot wasted movement. After lunch you read through worker logs and process sheets, checking that the records meet the quality rules, and chase up a few missing entries. Later you watch a machine being cleaned and serviced to confirm the crew follows the maintenance procedure, then help the supervisor plan next week's assignments around machine capacity and orders. Checking the waste storage area against the environmental permit is routine, detailed work. What you enjoy most is seeing a small change you suggested cut delays on the line and make the job easier for the operators.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications.
- Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.
- Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
- 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.
- Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Industrial engineering technologists and technicians do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Industrial engineering technologists and technicians?
You start the morning on the production floor, pulling samples from the line and testing them against the specification. Back at your desk you enter the results and update the quality charts to see whether anything is drifting. Mid-morning you stand beside a packing station with a stopwatch, timing each step to set a fair work standard and spot wasted movement.
How much does Industrial engineering technologists and technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Industrial engineering technologists and technicians in the US is $64,790.
What is the job outlook for Industrial engineering technologists and technicians?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 74,600 workers.
How do I become industrial engineering technologists and technicians?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Industrial engineering technologists and technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Monitoring, Speaking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Industrial engineering technologists and technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Industrial engineering technologists and technicians a score of 0.60 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.