Career: Industrial Engineers
Suppose you had a great idea for a new product. Even better, suppose lots of people wanted to buy it. First, congratulations! Second, how are you going to make it? How many workers will you need? How many items can they produce? What kind of system will help them make more? What kinds of parts will they need to make it? How much should you keep on hand?
An industrial engineer can help you answer these questions. Or, if answering questions like these sounds like an interesting challenge, you could become one.
Industrial engineers consider factors such as location, inventory, and the needs of workers to create systems that help businesses and other organizations run better.
“It is important for people to know that the word industrial does not mean just manufacturing. Industrial engineers work in many different types of organizations, from United Parcel Service to United Airlines to hospitals, to, yes, manufacturing companies.”
C. Patrick Koelling, Associate Professor, Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Are You Ready To...?
- Find and solve problems
- Work with financial information
- Study statistics
- Use computers
- Write reports and give presentations
- Work as part of a team
- Keep up with new technology
It Helps to Be...
An organizer, a puzzle solver, and someone who loves order. Industrial engineers need to listen, explain, and teach, so it also helps to be a great communicator.
Make High School Count
- Go for challenging math and science courses, like algebra, calculus, statistics, and physics.
- Take English classes seriously -- you’ll need to be able to read complex materials and write about your work for others.
- Build solid computer skills and sign up for computer science.
- Learn about business in a program like Junior Achievement.
- Get a summer job or internship so you can see firsthand how businesses are run.
- Take a leadership role in student government or a school club to get a feel for how people work together.
Did You Know?
- Industrial engineers made surgery easier for doctors. They developed the system where a nurse passes instruments to the surgeon.
Outlook
Government economists expect jobs for industrial engineers to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through 2014. There will also be job opportunities as current workers retire or leave the workforce for other reasons.
Compensation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the average yearly earnings of industrial engineers in 2006 as $70,630.
A 2005 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers listed salary offers for industrial engineering students about to graduate. Bachelor’s degree candidates averaged $49,567, master’s degree candidates averaged $56,561, and Ph.D. candidates averaged $85,000.
