Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 17-3026

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Median pay sits 45% below the mid peer in Architecture and Engineering Occupations (neighbors include Petroleum Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer, Marine Engineers and Naval Architects).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians: Petroleum Engineers ($145K) , Industrial Engineers ($102K) , Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ($130K) , Marine Engineers and Naval Architects ($112K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-3026 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications
  2. 2. Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products
  3. 3. Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or i…
  4. 4. Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications
  5. 5. Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance
  6. 6. Evaluate industrial operations for compliance with permits or regulations related to the generation, storage, treatment, transportation…
  7. 7. Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays
  8. 8. Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance
  9. 9. Analyze, estimate, or report production costs
  10. 10. Assist engineers in developing, building, or testing prototypes or new products, processes, or procedures
  11. 11. Calibrate or adjust equipment to ensure quality production, using tools such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, protractors, or rin…
  12. 12. Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable and nonsustainable designs

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-3026 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.9
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.9
  4. 4. Complex Problem Solving 3.8
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.4
  6. 6. Speaking 3.3
  7. 7. Systems Analysis 3.3
  8. 8. Systems Evaluation 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.4
  2. 2. Engineering and Technology 4.1
  3. 3. Production and Processing 3.7
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.6
  5. 5. Design 3.5
  6. 6. English Language 3.5
Pay vs Architecture and Engineering Occupations peers
-45%
vs mid peer median $120,630
This role $66,120/yr
$66K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
6,300
Annual openings
75,570
Estimated US jobs
Petroleum Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $145K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

1. Illinois $71,090
2. Minnesota $70,490
3. New Jersey $72,890
4. California $79,070
5. Massachusetts $71,830
6. Maryland $79,090
7. Oregon $75,760
8. Oklahoma $79,330
9. Washington $78,430
10. Vermont $72,410

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $130,220
  2. 2. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects $112,230
  3. 3. Chemical Engineers $125,040
  4. 4. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $109,370
  5. 5. Industrial Engineers $102,440
  6. 6. Petroleum Engineers $144,910

Among Architecture and Engineering Occupations peers on this card, Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians sits 45% below the mid peer median ($120,630). Its own median is $66,120.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 6,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Illinois at $71,090. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Petroleum Engineers at $144,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay-rank #32 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

On the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table (36 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians lands at #32, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians pays 45% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-3026

Illinois · top state for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

$71K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$70K · behind Illinois

Petroleum Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians · $145K

Industrial Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians · $102K

Compare Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Against another occupation

Petroleum Engineers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians land on the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table? ▼
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians is pay-rank #32 of 36 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Architectural and Civil Drafters ($66K), Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($65K), Calibration Technologists and Technicians ($68K), Drafters, All Other ($64K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do industrial engineering technologists and technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. Leading ones include: 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 i…; Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for industrial engineering technologists and technicians? ▼
For SOC 17-3026, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.9), Complex Problem Solving (3.8). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Engineering and Technology, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $66,120 as the national median for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $47,300 to $99,150. Beside Petroleum Engineers ($144,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 6,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians? ▼
Illinois ($71,090), Minnesota ($70,490), New Jersey ($72,890) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-3026. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics