Architecture and Engineering · Holland code IRC

Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists

Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. Investigate and analyze characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of technology.

Also called: Engineer, Ergonomist, Human Factors Engineer, Occupational Ergonomist, Board Certified Ergonomist, Certified Professional Ergonomist, Cognitive Engineer, Ergonomic Consultant.

O*NET 17-2112.01

At a glance

US median annual pay: $102,440; Middle half earn $83,600 to $129,250. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Master's Degree; 50% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 5 of 5; Extensive preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +11% · Much faster than average; 351,100 jobs in 2024, projected 389,600. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Industrial engineers".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.
Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces.
Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.
Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.
Prepare reports or presentations summarizing results or conclusions of human factors engineering or ergonomics activities, such as testing, investigation, or validation.
Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions.
Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement.
Provide technical support to clients through activities, such as rearranging workplace fixtures to reduce physical hazards or discomfort or modifying task sequences to reduce cycle time.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Active Listening4.0 / 5
Writing4.0 / 5
Speaking4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
Active Learning3.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Psychology4.2 / 5
English Language4.0 / 5
Design3.9 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.8 / 5
Education and Training3.6 / 5
Mathematics3.5 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic59
Investigative87
Artistic27
Social19
Enterprising26
Conventional57

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

physicist · DE Physiker/Physikerin · FR physicien/physicienne
aerodynamics engineer · DE Ingenieur Aerodynamik/Ingenieurin Aerodynamik · FR aérodynamicien/aérodynamicienne
health and safety engineer · DE Ingenieur Sicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz/Ingenieurin Sicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz · FR ingénieur hygiène et sécurité/ingénieure hygiène et sécurité
calculation engineer · DE Berechnungsingenieur/Berechnungsingenieurin · FR ingénieur calcul/ingénieure calcul
ergonomist · DE Ergonom/Ergonomin · FR ergonome
user experience analyst · DE User Experience Analyst · FR analyste d’expérience utilisateur

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Occupational therapists (2222)56,000 employed
Podiatrists (2256)16,200 employed
Mechanical engineers (professional) (2122)94,400 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€61,714
Germany	€59,529
Ireland	€56,877
Austria	€55,374
Netherlands	€53,595
Sweden	€43,567
France	€41,515
Spain	€35,735
Italy	€33,649
Portugal	€26,072
Poland	€14,380

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +1.14. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (17-2112).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test