Industrial Engineering Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Industrial Engineering major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Engineering, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Engineering, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$105,278

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$160,486

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$207,949

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 2.6%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$3,925,253

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Industrial Production Managers
SOC: 11-3051
Occupation: Industrial Production Managers
$121,440
234,380
N/A
N/A
Industrial Engineers
SOC: 17-2112
Occupation: Industrial Engineers
$101,140
350,230
N/A
N/A
Architectural and Engineering Managers
SOC: 11-9041
Occupation: Architectural and Engineering Managers
$167,740
210,340
N/A
N/A
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC: 25-1032
Occupation: Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
$106,120
39,910
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Industrial Production Managers

11.6%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$121,440234,380
2023$116,970222,890
2022$107,560211,710
2021$103,150192,270
2020$108,790179,570

Industrial Engineers

13.7%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$101,140350,230
2023$99,380332,870
2022$96,350321,400
2021$95,300293,950
2020$88,950290,190

Architectural and Engineering Managers

12.2%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$167,740210,340
2023$165,370207,800
2022$159,920197,180
2021$152,350187,100
2020$149,530195,900

Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary

2.4%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$106,12039,910
2023$106,91038,370
2022$103,55036,010
2021$104,94035,440
2020$103,60038,520

Colleges offering Industrial Engineering

Lawrence Technological University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$34k

Earnings

$77k

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$20k

Earnings

$77k

Kettering University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$34k

Earnings

$93k

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$17k

Earnings

$77k

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$23k

Earnings

$65k