Architecture and Engineering · Holland code RCI
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.
Also called: Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech), Industrial Engineering Analyst, Industrial Engineering Technician (Industrial Engineering Tech), Industrial Technician (Industrial Tech), Manufacturing Coordinator, PLC Tech (Programmable Logic Controller Technician), QC Engineering Technician (Quality Control Engineering Technician), Quality Management Coordinator.
O*NET 17-3026.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $66,120
- Middle half earn $55,760 to $80,280. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
- US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034
- +2% · Slower than average
- 74,600 jobs in 2024, projected 75,900. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Industrial engineering technologists and technicians".
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance.
- Calibrate or adjust equipment to ensure quality production, using tools such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, protractors, or ring gauges.
- Oversee or inspect production processes.
- Identify opportunities for improvements in quality, cost, or efficiency of automation equipment.
- Develop or implement programs to address problems related to production, materials, safety, or quality.
- Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications.
- Create or interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, formulas, or blueprints for management or engineering staff.
- Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.9 / 5
- Active Listening3.9 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
- Writing3.1 / 5
- Speaking3.1 / 5
- Mathematics3.1 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology4.3 / 5
- Production and Processing4.1 / 5
- Design4.0 / 5
- Mechanical3.9 / 5
- English Language3.9 / 5
- Computers and Electronics3.8 / 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.
- Realistic72
- Investigative69
- Artistic4
- Social7
- Enterprising22
- Conventional70
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)
- textile technologist · DE Ingenieur Textiltechnik/Ingenieurin Textiltechnik · FR ingénieur textile/ingénieure textile
- industrial engineer · DE Wirtschaftsingenieur/Wirtschaftsingenieurin · FR ingénieur industriel/ingénieure industrielle
- leather goods industrial engineer · DE Ledertechniker/Ledertechnikerin · FR ingénieur industriel dans la fabrication d’articles en cuir/ingénieure industrielle dans la fabrication d’articles en cuir
- production engineering technician · DE Produktionsmechaniker/Produktionsmechanikerin · FR technicien en ingénierie de la production/technicienne en ingénierie de la production
- process engineering technician · DE Prozesstechniker/Prozesstechnikerin · FR technicien en ingénierie des procédés/technicienne en ingénierie des procédés
- product development engineering technician · DE Produktentwicklungstechniker/Produktentwicklungstechnikerin · FR technicien en ingénierie de mise au point de produits/technicienne en ingénierie de mise au point de produits
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Quality assurance technicians (3115)36,100 employed
- Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c. (3119)38,000 employed
- Engineering technicians (3113)74,200 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 “Technicians and associate 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.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
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 middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.61. 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 (17-3026).
Related careers
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