Become An Engineer
Where do you want to work?
Working As An Engineer
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Getting Information
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Interacting With Computers
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Deal with People
$66,000
Average Salary
What Does An Engineer Do
How To Become An Engineer
Industrial engineers must have a bachelor’s degree. Employers also value experience, so cooperative education engineering programs at universities are also valuable.
EducationIndustrial engineers need a bachelor’s degree, typically in industrial engineering. However, many industrial engineers have degrees in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering technology, or general engineering. Students interested in studying industrial engineering should take high school courses in mathematics, such as algebra, trigonometry, and calculus; computer science; and sciences such as chemistry and physics.
Bachelor’s degree programs include lectures in classrooms and practice in laboratories. Courses include statistics, production systems planning, and manufacturing systems design, among others. Many colleges and universities offer cooperative education programs in which students gain practical experience while completing their education.
A few colleges and universities offer 5-year degree programs in industrial engineering that lead to a bachelor’s and master’s degree upon completion, and several more offer similar programs in mechanical engineering. A graduate degree allows an engineer to work as a professor at a college or university or to engage in research and development. Some 5-year or even 6-year cooperative education plans combine classroom study with practical work, permitting students to gain experience and to finance part of their education.
Programs in industrial engineering are accredited by ABET.
Important QualitiesCreativity. Industrial engineers use creativity and ingenuity to design new production processes in many kinds of settings in order to reduce the use of material resources, time, or labor while accomplishing the same goal.
Critical-thinking skills. Industrial engineers create new systems to solve problems related to waste and inefficiency. Solving these problems requires logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to the problems.
Listening skills. These engineers often operate in teams, but they also must solicit feedback from customers, vendors, and production staff. They must listen to customers and clients in order to fully grasp ideas and problems the first time.
Math skills. Industrial engineers use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.
Problem-solving skills. In designing facilities for manufacturing and processes for providing services, these engineers deal with several issues at once, from workers’ safety to quality assurance.
Speaking skills. Industrial engineers sometimes have to explain their instructions to production staff or technicians before they can make written instructions available. Being able to explain concepts clearly and quickly is crucial to preventing costly mistakes and loss of time.
Writing skills. Industrial engineers must prepare documentation for other engineers or scientists, or for future reference. The documentation must be coherent and explain their thinking clearly so that the others can understand the information.
Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsLicensure is not required for entry-level positions as an industrial engineer. A Professional Engineering (PE) license, which allows for higher levels of leadership and independence, can be acquired later in one’s career. Licensed engineers are called professional engineers (PEs). A PE can oversee the work of other engineers, sign off on projects, and provide services directly to the public. State licensure generally requires
- A degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program
- A passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
- Relevant work experience, typically at least 4 years
- A passing score on the Professional Engineering (PE) exam
The initial FE exam can be taken after one earns a bachelor’s degree. Engineers who pass this exam are commonly called engineers in training (EITs) or engineer interns (EIs). After meeting work experience requirements, EITs and EIs can take the second exam, called the Principles and Practice of Engineering.
Several states require engineers to take continuing education in order to keep their licenses. Most states recognize licenses from other states, as long as the other state’s licensing requirements meet or exceed their own licensing requirements.
AdvancementBeginning industrial engineers usually work under the supervision of experienced engineers. In large companies, new engineers also may receive formal training in classes or seminars. As beginning engineers gain knowledge and experience, they move on to more difficult projects with greater independence to develop designs, solve problems, and make decisions.
Eventually, industrial engineers may advance to become technical specialists, such as quality engineers or facility planners. In that role, they supervise a team of engineers and technicians. Obtaining a master’s degree facilitates such specialization and thus advancement.
Many industrial engineers move into management positions because the work they do is closely related to the work of managers. For more information, see the profile on architectural and engineering managers.
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Engineer jobs
Engineer Career Paths
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Principal Engineer 4.7 years
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Principle Engineer 4.5 years
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Senior Engineer 4.3 years
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Field System Engineer 3.6 years
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Management Engineer 3.6 years
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Consultant Systems Engineer 3.5 years
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Operations Engineer 3.5 years
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Team Lead Engineer 3.4 years
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Technical Services Engineer 3.4 years
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Service Engineer 3.4 years
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Lead Information Technology Engineer 3.3 years
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Systems Integration Engineer 3.3 years
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LAN Engineer 3.2 years
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Network Engineer Technician 3.2 years
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Systems Engineer 3.2 years
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Technical Support Engineer 3.1 years
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Engineer 3.0 years
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Information Engineer 2.8 years
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Solutions Engineer 2.7 years
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Laboratory Engineer 2.6 years
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Contracting Engineer 2.5 years
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Server Engineer 2.5 years
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Professional Services Engineer 2.5 years
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Implementation Engineer 2.3 years
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Junior Engineer 2.1 years
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Deployment Engineer 1.7 years
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NOC Engineer 1.7 years
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Internship 9.2%
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Design Engineer 7.5%
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Project Engineer 7.5%
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Project Manager 5.9%
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Research Assistant 5.9%
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Technician 5.3%
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Systems Engineer 5.2%
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Senior Engineer 4.9%
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Mechanical Engineer 4.3%
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Software Engineer 4.3%
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Manager 3.9%
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Field Engineer 3.8%
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Consultant 3.8%
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Network Engineer 3.4%
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Process Engineer 3.1%
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Senior Engineer 13.1%
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Project Manager 11.3%
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Project Engineer 8.8%
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Design Engineer 6.3%
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Consultant 6.1%
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Manager 5.7%
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Systems Engineer 4.9%
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Lead Engineer 4.1%
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Chief Engineer 4.1%
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Engineering Manager 4.1%
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Mechanical Engineer 4.1%
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Software Engineer 3.5%
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Process Engineer 3.1%
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Research Assistant 3.1%
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Owner 3.0%
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Team Leader 3.0%
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Program Manager 2.8%
Average Length of Employment
Top Careers Before Engineer
Top Careers After Engineer
Engineer Demographics
Gender
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Male
81.4% -
Female
14.6% -
Unknown
4.1%
Ethnicity
-
White
70.1% -
Asian
15.2% -
Hispanic or Latino
10.4% -
Unknown
3.5% -
Black or African American
0.9%
Languages Spoken
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Spanish
38.1% -
French
8.7% -
German
6.7% -
Chinese
6.5% -
Mandarin
5.0% -
Russian
4.7% -
Carrier
4.7% -
Japanese
4.6% -
Arabic
3.8% -
Portuguese
3.3% -
Hindi
2.8% -
Italian
2.4% -
Korean
2.0% -
Cantonese
1.6% -
Ukrainian
1.1% -
Polish
1.1% -
Urdu
1.0% -
Persian
0.7% -
Romanian
0.6% -
Greek
0.6%
Engineer
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
Engineer Education
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University of Phoenix
10.1% -
Purdue University
7.8% -
Pennsylvania State University
6.3% -
Texas A&M University
6.2% -
Georgia Institute of Technology -
5.6% -
Northeastern University
5.4% -
Arizona State University
5.4% -
University of Houston
4.9% -
Rochester Institute of Technology
4.9% -
University of Florida
4.8% -
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
4.8% -
University of Texas at Austin
4.6% -
University of Texas at Arlington
3.9% -
San Jose State University
3.9% -
Wayne State University
3.6% -
West Virginia University
3.6% -
University of Southern California
3.6% -
Drexel University
3.5% -
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
3.5% -
Texas Tech University
3.4% -
Mechanical Engineering 17.9%
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Electrical Engineering 17.8%
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Business 11.2%
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Computer Science 8.1%
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Civil Engineering 6.8%
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Engineering 5.3%
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Chemical Engineering 3.8%
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Computer Engineering 3.5%
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Management 2.3%
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Computer Networking 2.0%
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Drafting And Design 1.8%
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Bachelors
41.0% -
Masters
25.4% -
Other
17.7% -
Associate
7.2% -
Doctorate
3.8% -
Certificate
3.5% -
Diploma
1.3% -
License
0.2%
Schools
Majors
Degrees
Engineer
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
Real Engineer Salaries
Job Title
|
Company
|
Location
|
Start Date
|
Salary
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer IV | Melbourne It DBS, Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Nov 17, 2010 | $111,315 |
| Bigdata Engineer | GVA Infotech Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Sep 16, 2018 | $96,000 |
| SAP Bods Engineer | GVA Infotech Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Sep 16, 2018 | $96,000 |
| Bigdata Engineer | Anira Solutions Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Sep 16, 2018 | $96,000 |
| AWS Engineer | Moxie It Solutions Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Sep 10, 2018 | $92,400 |
| Engineer II | Melbourne It DBS, Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Jul 09, 2010 | $87,947 |
| Oracle ADF Engineer | GVA Infotech Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Jun 01, 2017 | $84,000 |
| Engineer I | KLS Engineering, LLC | Ashburn, VA | Sep 27, 2018 | $77,896 |
| Engineer | Brillio LLC | Ashburn, VA | Jun 05, 2016 | $77,000 |
| Engineer | Brillio LLC | Ashburn, VA | May 05, 2016 | $77,000 |
| Spec Eng-Ntwk ENG | Verizon Services Corporation | Ashburn, VA | Jul 20, 2013 | $75,000 |
| BSS Engineer | Viewsoft Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Nov 30, 2010 | $70,346 |
| Engineer I | KLS Engineering, LLC | Ashburn, VA | Sep 27, 2015 | $68,640 |
| BSS Engineer | Viewsoft Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Mar 04, 2010 | $66,000 |
| BSS Engineer | Viewsoft Inc. | Ashburn, VA | Jun 03, 2010 | $65,000 |
| Engineer | KLS Engineering LLC | Ashburn, VA | Oct 01, 2013 | $64,480 |
| Engineer I | KLS Engineering, LLC | Ashburn, VA | Sep 27, 2014 | $60,958 |
| Engineer | KLS Engineering LLC | Ashburn, VA | Oct 01, 2010 | $59,030 |
| Engineer | KLS Engineering LLC | Ashburn, VA | Oct 01, 2010 | $58,240 |
| Engineer 1 | KLS Engineering LLC | Ashburn, VA | Sep 27, 2011 | $55,120 |
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Top Skills for An Engineer
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Top Engineer Skills
- Test Procedures
- Safety
- Hardware
- Established test procedures and coordinated with Air Force project personnel.
- Exhibit thorough knowledge of minimizing safety hazards within the power plant.
- Documented hardware setup, procedures for storage allocation, reclamation, migration and replication.
- Provided training for layout designers in Fremont and CAD/Layout engineers in Singapore.
- Reviewed and deliberated newly engineered combat crafts and recommended future design improvements based on data analysis and visual assessments.
Top Engineer Employers
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