Industrial Engineer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$102,440

BLS May 2025

1. Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control. importance 4.0 of 5
2. Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization. importance 3.9 of 5
3. Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product. importance 3.8 of 5
4. Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status. importance 3.8 of 5
5. Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards. importance 3.7 of 5
6. Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan. importance 3.7 of 5
7. Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, material, and utilities. importance 3.7 of 5
8. Record or oversee recording of information to ensure currency of engineering drawings and documentation of production problems. importance 3.7 of 5
9. Draft and design layout of equipment, materials, and workspace to illustrate maximum efficiency using drafting tools and computer. importance 3.6 of 5
10. Direct workers engaged in product measurement, inspection, and testing activities to ensure quality control and reliability. importance 3.6 of 5
11. Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to promote efficient staff and facility utilization. importance 3.5 of 5
12. Review production schedules, engineering specifications, orders, and related information to obtain knowledge of manufacturing methods, procedures, and activities. importance 3.5 of 5
13. Complete production reports, purchase orders, and material, tool, and equipment lists. importance 3.4 of 5
14. Coordinate and implement quality control objectives, activities, or procedures to resolve production problems, maximize product reliability, or minimize costs. importance 3.4 of 5
15. Implement methods and procedures for disposition of discrepant material and defective or damaged parts, and assess cost and responsibility. importance 3.4 of 5
16. Apply statistical methods and perform mathematical calculations to determine manufacturing processes, staff requirements, and production standards. importance 3.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates and Thinking Creatively.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Regulate and alter workflow schedules according to established manufacturing sequences and lead times to expedite production operations.
• Schedule deliveries based on production forecasts, material substitutions, storage and handling facilities, and maintenance requirements.

Knowledge areas: Engineering and Technology, Production and Processing, Mechanical, Design and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, SAP software, Structured query language SQL. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become an industrial engineer.

Most industrial engineers surveyed by O*NET (59%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Industrial Engineer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring an Industrial Engineer to design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
- Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
- Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
- Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, material, and utilities.
- Record or oversee recording of information to ensure currency of engineering drawings and documentation of production problems.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in reading comprehension, active listening and critical thinking
- Working knowledge of Engineering and Technology and Production and Processing
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Autodesk AutoCAD or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $102,440 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $49.25. BLS estimates about 365,740 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of industrial engineers to grow 12.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,100 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full industrial engineer salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real industrial engineer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only industrial engineer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (reading comprehension and active listening); industrial engineer interview questions turns them into practice questions.