What does an industrial engineer do?
An industrial engineer specializes in devising various systems to improve the workflow and the workforce in a manufacturing setting. One of their primary responsibilities is to understand all of the procedures in a manufacturing plant and develop strategies to resolve issues or improve production operations, such as designing a cost-efficient machine or system that will enhance the quality of goods and boost the productivity of workers. Moreover, it is also essential to adhere to all the company's policies and safety regulations to maintain a safe and productive work environment for all employees.
Industrial engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real industrial engineer resumes:
- Plan, manage, lead and execute projects from conception to successful completion using the DMAIC methodology.
- Manage development of equipment, which include electrical systems, PLC programming, pneumatic circuits, hydraulic systems and fixtures.
- Lead PDCA project to reduce order sizing defects that impact customer product delivery, avoiding $230K in lose revenue.
- Utilize AutoCad for plant layout modifications or capital projects.
- Train new IE's in the work group in labor reporting, equipment cycle timing and labor standards.
- Lead for manufacturing relate continuous improvement activities including Kaizen events to improve production efficiency b
- Work on national level process improvement projects focuse on optimizing and improving logistics system performance throughout the organization.
- Identify optimum layout of plant using AutoCad as primary software.
- Work with the lean sigma team to find improvement areas.
- Convert 2D AutoCAD drawings to 3D SolidWorks drawings for machine programming.
- Assist in studying sub-assemblies of product families to reduce takt time.
- Utilize the A3 lean tool to facilitate communication for all improvement activities.
- Work with the production team in GMP environment for scale up production batches.
- Develop SQL base program to manipulate and monitor data used for tracking project progress.
- Mentor industrial engineers and analysts with the application of IE methods tools and processes.
Industrial engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Industrial Engineers are proficient in Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, and Sigma. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Listening skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Industrial Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Continuous Improvement, 9%
Facilitated communication and coaching cross-functional teams towards development of standard work, lean practices, process documentation, and continuous improvement.
- Lean Manufacturing, 7%
Collected cell layout information and engineering data; made recommendations for cell layout design considering ergonomic issues using Lean Manufacturing methods.
- Sigma, 5%
Provided training to mail processing managers and employees on standardization and lean/six sigma tools and processes using nationally developed training material.
- Project Management, 5%
Complete project management from concept, to design, costing, vendor selection, management presentation and implementation including contractor interface.
- Logistics, 5%
Assisted in transportation logistics' dedicated fleet including rate negotiations and efficient routing per dealership in each geographical region.
- Lean Six Sigma, 4%
Coached employees in Lean Six Sigma certification process and daily improvement opportunities.
Most industrial engineers use their skills in "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," and "sigma" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential industrial engineer responsibilities here:
Creativity. The most essential soft skill for an industrial engineer to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "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." Additionally, an industrial engineer resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "maintained the inventory of raw materials on baan (erp system), reviewed the inventory levels and scheduled production. "
Listening skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling industrial engineer duties is listening skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "these engineers often operate in teams, but they also must solicit feedback from customers, vendors, and production staff." According to an industrial engineer resume, here's how industrial engineers can utilize listening skills in their job responsibilities: "identified project success metrics * develop business requirements, process flows, and also developed communications/executed communicated plans. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of industrial engineers is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday industrial engineer duties, as "industrial engineers use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "time and motion studies mathematical models to predict product equipment hours basic programming for model implementation tracking capital spending cost reduction projects"
Problem-solving skills. industrial engineer responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "in designing facilities for manufacturing and processes for providing services, these engineers deal with several issues at once, from workers’ safety to quality assurance." This resume example shows what industrial engineers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "solved time-sensitive issues using mssql and vba macro programming. "
Speaking skills. Another common skill required for industrial engineer responsibilities is "speaking skills." This skill comes up in the duties of industrial engineers all the time, as "industrial engineers sometimes have to explain their instructions to production staff or technicians before they can make written instructions available." An excerpt from a real industrial engineer resume shows how this skill is central to what an industrial engineer does: "represented the warehouse department as part of an erp system implementation team and currently undergoing continuous improvement projects. "
Writing skills. Lastly, "writing skills" is an important element of what an industrial engineer does. Industrial engineer responsibilities require this skill because "industrial engineers must prepare documentation for other engineers or scientists, or for future reference." This resume example highlights how industrial engineer duties rely on this skill: "improved efficiency of automotive process flow by rewriting standardized work processes to eliminate non-value added waste. "
The three companies that hire the most industrial engineers are:
- Ryder System54 industrial engineers jobs
- Sysco51 industrial engineers jobs
- Tesla45 industrial engineers jobs
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Compare different industrial engineers
Industrial engineer vs. Process engineer internship
A process engineering intern performs various tasks for an organization. These include collaborating with the technical team on cost savings, process efficiency improvements, and technology advancement, attending meetings with leadership teams, and participating in customer trials. Additionally, they may assist with the leadership or management teams in creating standard operating procedures. They are responsible for coordinating with engineers and work on projects assigned by the leadership. Ideal candidates for this role must have a degree in mechanical or industrial engineering, excellent communication skills, and knowledge and experience in process observation.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between industrial engineers and process engineer internship. For instance, industrial engineer responsibilities require skills such as "project management," "excellent interpersonal," "logistics," and "lean six sigma." Whereas a process engineer internship is skilled in "process engineering," "powerpoint," "python," and "c++." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that process engineer interns earn slightly differ from industrial engineers. In particular, process engineer interns are 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an industrial engineer. Additionally, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial engineer vs. Research and development engineer
Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, industrial engineer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "excellent interpersonal," and "logistics." Meanwhile, a research and development engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "python," "c #," "solidworks," and "patients." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, research and development engineers earn a higher salary than industrial engineers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, research and development engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $107,654. Whereas industrial engineers have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $83,503.In general, research and development engineers achieve higher levels of education than industrial engineers. They're 6.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for industrial engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Jerry Leth
VP/General Manager, MANA
Industrial engineer vs. Process improvement engineer
A process improvement engineer specializes in conducting research and analysis to develop new strategies and ideas to improve the processes in a manufacturing plant or a similar setting. They prioritize efficiency and profitability. Most of the time, engineers participate in a series of meetings where they coordinate with fellow engineers to determine opportunities for product growth and development. Moreover, a process improvement engineer is also responsible for crafting new policies and regulations, upgrading systems, and developing new practices to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an industrial engineer is likely to be skilled in "excellent interpersonal," "logistics," "cad," and "facility layout," while a typical process improvement engineer is skilled in "healthcare," "performance improvement," "patients," and "business process."
Process improvement engineers make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $89,829. On the other hand, industrial engineers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $83,503.Most process improvement engineers achieve a similar degree level compared to industrial engineers. For example, they're 4.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial engineer vs. Packaging engineer
A Packaging Engineer plans and implements packaging designs to ensure product integrity and appeal. Their primary duties include supervising and managing the complete packaging development process, analyzing engineering drawings, and conducting periodic vendor reviews.
Types of industrial engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
