Virginia·Architecture and Engineering Occupations·SOC 17-3026

Best Industrial Engineering Technologist programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment

Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff.

25 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 719 people a year. The job pays a median of $66,310 in Virginia across about 1,270 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledQuality TechnicianNanofabrication SpecialistManufacturing Technology AnalystIndustrial Engineering TechnicianR and D Engineer (Research and Development Engineer)Research Lab Associate (Research Laboratory Associate)Process Engineering Technician (Process Engineering Tech)Quality Control Engineering Technician (QC Engineering Technician)
Graduates / yr
719
in Virginia
Median pay · Virginia
$66,310
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,270
people employed
Schools
25
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
44%
across those schools
Median net price
$28,911
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

5 programs in Virginia that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Virginia page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 15.0613In Virginia
230
32.0%
13$57,188$22,000
2
CIP 15.0699In Virginia
200
27.8%
14$57,188$22,000
3
CIP 15.0612In Virginia
176
24.5%
17$57,188$22,000
4
CIP 15.1501In Virginia
80
11.1%
3$68,912$25,236
5
CIP 15.1503In Virginia
33
4.6%
1$68,912$25,236

Top 25 schools in Virginia

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 3 of the 25 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Danville Community College
Danville, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
101Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other$55,86039%
2Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
95Engineering/Industrial Management65%$28,91199%
3Southside Virginia Community College
Alberta, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
81Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other42%
4Central Virginia Community College
Lynchburg, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
58Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician45%
5Virginia Western Community College
Roanoke, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
50Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician$49,28740%
6Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
36Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician32%
7Brightpoint Community College
Chester, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
34Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other38%
8Patrick & Henry Community College
Martinsville, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
34Industrial Technology/Technician42%
9Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
33Packaging Science$56,51386%55%
10New River Community College
Dublin, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
31Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician50%
11Virginia Peninsula Community College
Hampton, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
29Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician34%
12Southwest Virginia Community College
Cedar Bluff, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
27Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other46%
13Wytheville Community College
Wytheville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
25Industrial Technology/Technician47%
14Blue Ridge Community College
Weyers Cave, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
23Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician40%
15Mountain Empire Community College
Big Stone Gap, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
14Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other48%
16Virginia State University
Petersburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
10Industrial Technology/Technician39%89%
17Virginia Highlands Community College
Abingdon, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
8Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other40%
18Eastern Shore Community College
Melfa, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
7Industrial Technology/Technician41%
19University of Management and Technology
Arlington, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Engineering/Industrial Management33%
20Germanna Community College
Locust Grove, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
4Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician46%
21Paul D Camp Community College
Franklin, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
4Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other36%
22Mountain Gateway Community College
Clifton Forge, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
3Industrial Technology/Technician38%
23Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
3Engineering/Industrial Management46%90%
24Laurel Ridge Community College
Middletown, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
1Industrial Technology/Technician45%
25Piedmont Virginia Community College
Charlottesville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
1Industrial Technology/Technician39%

All 25 schools in Virginia

Every school in Virginia with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Virginia that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Danville Community CollegeDanvillePublic1013
Liberty UniversityLynchburgPrivate not-for-profit952
Southside Virginia Community CollegeAlbertaPublic812
Central Virginia Community CollegeLynchburgPublic582
Virginia Western Community CollegeRoanokePublic502
Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolkPublic363
Brightpoint Community CollegeChesterPublic342
Patrick & Henry Community CollegeMartinsvillePublic343
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgPublic331
New River Community CollegeDublinPublic312
Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeHamptonPublic293
Southwest Virginia Community CollegeCedar BluffPublic273
Wytheville Community CollegeWythevillePublic251
Blue Ridge Community CollegeWeyers CavePublic232
Mountain Empire Community CollegeBig Stone GapPublic143

What industrial engineering technologists and technicians earn in Virginia

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Virginia
$66,310
Mean annual
$69,740
Jobs in state
1,270
What the range looks like
10th pct$49,100Median$66,31090th pct$98,630
Versus the national median
+0.3%

U.S. median $66,120. Virginia pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
0.64×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Virginia

Harrisonburg, VA
$76,210median
30 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$67,340median
190 jobs
Richmond, VA
$62,650median
170 jobs
Roanoke, VA
$64,120median
160 jobs
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
$61,310median
150 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+1.7%
Little or no change
Openings per year
6,300
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
1,300
74,600 → 75,900
Typical entry education
Associate's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians page.

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.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningWritingMonitoringSpeaking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Virginia

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

Common questions

Answers for people weighing industrial engineering technologists and technicians programs in Virginia.

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 Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician, which awarded 230 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 32.0% 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 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Engineering-Related Fields. Together they graduate about 719 people a year in Virginia.

How much do industrial engineering technologists and technicians earn in Virginia?+

The median is $66,310 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.3% above the U.S. median of $66,120. 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 in Virginia?+

25 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 5 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.

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians in other statesIndianaLouisianaTexasAlabamaCaliforniaIllinoisMissouriNew York

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 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected 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 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, 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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