Best degree programs for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians, ranked by enrollment
7 college programs and 579 schools train Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $66,120 median wage, 75,570 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
7 college programs at 579 schools train industrial engineering technologists and technicians, graduating 20,445 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Engineering/Industrial Management. The job pays a median of $66,120 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
7 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 15.1501 | 7,899 | 38.6% | 188 | $68,912 | $25,236 |
| 2 | CIP 15.0613 | 5,247 | 25.7% | 272 | $57,188 | $22,000 |
| 3 | Industrial Technology/Technicianmain feeder CIP 15.0612 | 4,201 | 20.5% | 150 | $57,188 | $22,000 |
| 4 | CIP 15.0699 | 2,268 | 11.1% | 66 | $57,188 | $22,000 |
| 5 | CIP 15.1503 | 373 | 1.8% | 10 | $68,912 | $25,236 |
| 6 | CIP 15.0703 | 268 | 1.3% | 19 | $63,479 | $25,000 |
| 7 | CIP 15.0001 | 189 | 0.9% | 18 | $59,718 | $25,375 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What industrial engineering technologists and technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $63,110 | 2,560 | 1.65× | 13 | 1,573 |
| Louisiana | — | 820 | 0.87× | 14 | 1,550 |
| Texas | $62,020 | 5,060 | 0.74× | 36 | 1,465 |
| Alabama | $66,510 | 1,010 | 0.98× | 13 | 1,204 |
| California | $79,070 | 5,710 | 0.65× | 48 | 1,194 |
| Illinois | $71,090 | 2,260 | 0.76× | 32 | 1,141 |
| Missouri | $62,440 | 1,220 | 0.86× | 21 | 925 |
| New York | $70,290 | 4,090 | 0.87× | 18 | 869 |
| North Carolina | $69,720 | 1,940 | 0.81× | 22 | 868 |
| Ohio | $65,490 | 5,340 | 1.98× | 28 | 742 |
| Michigan | $64,510 | 5,410 | 2.53× | 30 | 722 |
| Virginia | $66,310 | 1,270 | 0.64× | 25 | 719 |
| Arkansas | $62,210 | 330 | 0.51× | 15 | 704 |
| Washington | $78,430 | 1,050 | 0.61× | 9 | 582 |
| Arizona | $66,040 | 2,080 | 1.32× | 8 | 427 |
| Utah | $67,490 | 1,400 | 1.67× | 6 | 425 |
| Massachusetts | $71,830 | 2,070 | 1.17× | 11 | 424 |
| Kentucky | $61,140 | 1,330 | 1.36× | 11 | 410 |
| New Jersey | $72,890 | 920 | 0.44× | 10 | 348 |
| Mississippi | $50,180 | — | — | 10 | 342 |
| Tennessee | $58,070 | 2,650 | 1.66× | 16 | 329 |
| Maryland | $79,090 | 490 | 0.37× | 7 | 294 |
| Kansas | $61,000 | 570 | 0.82× | 12 | 291 |
| Florida | $61,350 | 3,110 | 0.64× | 18 | 284 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,260 | 1,790 | 0.61× | 23 | 281 |
| South Carolina | $70,080 | 2,400 | 2.15× | 7 | 230 |
| Wisconsin | $65,270 | 2,660 | 1.86× | 11 | 229 |
| Connecticut | $69,260 | 670 | 0.81× | 7 | 209 |
| Minnesota | $70,490 | 5,380 | 3.75× | 11 | 207 |
| Colorado | $66,850 | 930 | 0.66× | 8 | 152 |
| Georgia | $65,060 | 1,840 | 0.78× | 10 | 136 |
| Oklahoma | $79,330 | 750 | 0.90× | 10 | 122 |
| Iowamoderate | $64,410 | 710 | 0.93× | 4 | 113 |
| Nevadamoderate | $61,470 | 990 | 1.31× | 4 | 99 |
| Oregon | $75,760 | 910 | 0.96× | 12 | 92 |
| North Dakotamoderate | $64,060 | 100 | 0.50× | 3 | 79 |
| New Mexicomoderate | $61,280 | 480 | 1.13× | 4 | 74 |
| Nebraskalimited | $59,970 | 240 | 0.49× | 2 | 64 |
| South Dakotalimited | $54,570 | 310 | 1.40× | 2 | 62 |
| West Virginia | $57,240 | 140 | 0.42× | 7 | 57 |
| Idaholimited | $63,150 | 300 | 0.73× | 2 | 53 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $69,650 | 620 | 1.88× | 2 | 19 |
| Mainemoderate | $63,070 | 310 | 0.98× | 3 | 15 |
| Rhode Islandmoderate | $59,420 | 170 | 0.71× | 3 | 8 |
| Vermontlimited | $72,410 | 110 | 0.71× | 1 | 7 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Produce images or measurements, using tools or techniques such as atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, particle size analysis, or zeta potential analysis.
- Maintain accurate record or batch-record documentation of nanoproduction.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Listening3.8
- Writing3.4
- Monitoring3.4
- Speaking3.3
- Mathematics3.3
- Science3.3
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology4.2
- English Language3.8
- Mechanical3.8
- Computers and Electronics3.8
- Mathematics3.7
- Production and Processing3.5
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Inductive Reasoning3.9
- Near Vision3.8
Core activities
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.2
- Working with Computers4.2
- Getting Information4.1
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.9
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.9
- Analyzing Data or Information3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Industrial Engineering Technologist
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 8 majors mapped to Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0001Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians
- 15.0612Industrial Technology/Technician
- 15.0613Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0699Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other
- 15.0703Industrial Safety Technology/Technician
- 15.0705Process Safety Technology/Technician(no graduates reported)
- 15.1501Engineering/Industrial Management
- 15.1503Packaging Science
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Industrial Engineering Technologist?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Engineering/Industrial Management, which awarded 7,899 degrees in 2024-25, 38.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Industrial Engineering Technologist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Engineering-Related Fields, Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Engineering Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 20,445 people a year.
How much do industrial engineering technologists and technicians earn?+
The median is $66,120 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $47,300 at the 10th percentile to $99,150 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for industrial engineering technologists and technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +1.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 6,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
579 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do industrial engineering technologists and technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Quality Technician, Nanofabrication Specialist, Manufacturing Technology Analyst, Industrial Engineering Technician, R and D Engineer (Research and Development Engineer), Research Lab Associate (Research Laboratory Associate) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-3026.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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