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Manufacturing
3M, General Electric, Caterpillar
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians study how work gets done in plants and other operations, then use that information to cut waste, improve quality, and keep output moving. The job sits at the boundary between analysis and the shop floor: you need to be comfortable with data and documentation, but any fix has to work in real production conditions, with schedules, machine limits, and human habits all pulling at the same time.
Also known as Industrial Engineering TechnicianIndustrial Engineering TechnologistManufacturing Engineering TechnicianProcess Improvement TechnicianManufacturing Technician
Median Salary
$64,790
Mean $69,780
U.S. Workforce
~73K
6.3K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1.7%
74.6K to 75.9K
Entry Education
Associate's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians sits in the Business category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~73K workers, with a median annual pay of $64,790 and roughly 6.3K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 74.6 K in 2024 to 75.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering technology or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Entry-level Production Technician and can progress toward Process Improvement Specialist. High-value skills usually include Microsoft Excel, PivotTables & Spreadsheet Analysis, Minitab, SPC Charts & Statistical Quality Control, and Lean Manufacturing, Time Studies & Process Mapping, paired with soft skills such as Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Check worker logs, production sheets, and specification documents to make sure records match quality standards.
- Watch how a process runs, time each step, and look for wasted motion, delays, or bottlenecks.
- Observe equipment and workers to confirm that machines are being used and maintained the right way.
- Help plan shift assignments and machine schedules so staffing matches capacity and expected slowdowns.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Check worker logs, production sheets, and specification documents to make sure records match quality standards.
02 Watch how a process runs, time each step, and look for wasted motion, delays, or bottlenecks.
03 Observe equipment and workers to confirm that machines are being used and maintained the right way.
04 Help plan shift assignments and machine schedules so staffing matches capacity and expected slowdowns.
05 Collect defect, downtime, and output data, then turn it into charts or reports that show where the process is failing.
06 Test products as they move through production and help update process instructions, standards, and documentation.
Industries That Hire
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Automotive
Ford, Toyota, General Motors
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Aerospace & Defense
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
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Food & Beverage
PepsiCo, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz
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Logistics & E-commerce
Amazon, UPS, FedEx
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid for a technician role, with a median annual wage of $64,790 and a mean of $69,780.
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Job hunting is helped by steady demand: the occupation is projected to add about 6.3K openings a year.
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BLS says no work experience or on-the-job training is required, so you can get in without a long apprenticeship.
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The work is concrete and measurable; you can see the effect of your changes in fewer defects, less waste, or faster cycle times.
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The skills move well across industries, from factories to warehouses to quality teams, so you are not locked into one niche.
Challenges
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Growth is modest at 1.7% through 2034, with only about 1.3K net jobs added, so the field will not expand quickly.
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Most positions are tied to plants, labs, or warehouses, which makes remote work uncommon.
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A lot of the job is checking records, standards, and routine process data, so it can feel repetitive.
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There is some credential pressure: BLS lists an associate's degree as typical, but the O*NET distribution shows 22.32% with bachelor's degrees and 20.0% with doctorates, which can make some openings more competitive than they look.
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Automation and manufacturing software can absorb routine monitoring, data capture, and report generation, which may limit the amount of purely manual analysis left in the role over time.
Career Progression
Entry-level Production Technician
0-2 years
$42K-$52K
Learns the line, gathers basic production data, and supports quality checks while getting comfortable with plant routines and safety rules.
Industrial Engineering Technologist
2-5 years
$55K-$72K
Studies process flow, checks records and output, and helps adjust staffing, methods, and standards; this tier includes the job's median pay of $64,790.
Senior Industrial Engineering Technologist THIS ROLE
5-8 years
$73K-$90K
Runs deeper analysis, leads improvement projects, and works with supervisors and engineers to fix recurring production problems.
Process Improvement Specialist
8+ years
$91K-$115K
Owns larger efficiency and quality initiatives, often across multiple lines or sites, and translates data into changes management will actually adopt.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering technology or a related field
The largest share in the O*NET distribution, at 22.32%, and a practical fit for work that mixes process analysis, reporting, and plant-floor coordination.
Some college courses or partial college
About 18.46% of workers in the distribution report some college coursework, often paired with hands-on experience and a strong technical portfolio.
Associate's degree in industrial engineering technology
BLS lists this as the typical entry point, but only 5.0% of workers in the O*NET distribution report it exactly.
Lean Six Sigma or quality control certificate
A realistic alternative for people already working in manufacturing, especially when paired with shop-floor experience and software skills.
Key Skills
Technical
Microsoft Excel, PivotTables & Spreadsheet Analysis 82%
Minitab, SPC Charts & Statistical Quality Control 80%
Lean Manufacturing, Time Studies & Process Mapping 78%
SAP, Oracle & MES Work Order Systems 76%
Power BI & Production Dashboards 74%
AutoCAD, Visio & Process Documentation Tools 72%
Soft Skills
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingWritingSpeaking Job Outlook and Trends
+1.7%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
6.3K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 74.6K to 75.9 K over the next decade, representing 1.7% growth. Around 6.3 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.