"Procedures," "Continuous Improvement," and "Sigma" aren't the only skills we found Industrial Engineers list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of Industrial Engineer responsibilities that we found, including:
Arguably the most important personality trait for an Industrial Engineer to have happens to be Creativity. An example from a resume said this about the skill, "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, other resumes have pointed out that Industrial Engineers can use Creativity to "Maintained the inventory of raw materials on BAAN (ERP system), reviewed the inventory levels and scheduled production. " While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many Industrial Engineer duties rely on Listening skills. This example from a Industrial Engineer explains why: "These engineers often operate in teams, but they also must solicit feedback from customers, vendors, and production staff." This resume example is just one of many ways Industrial Engineers are able to utilize Listening skills: "Communicated new processes and process changes to client organizations for a $3M company. " Industrial Engineers are also known for Math skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a Industrial Engineer resume: "Industrial engineers use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "Time and Motion Studies Mathematical Models to Predict Product Equipment Hours Basic Programming for Model Implementation Tracking Capital Spending Cost Reduction Projects" In order for certain Industrial Engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "Problem-solving skills." According to an Industrial Engineer resume, "In designing facilities for manufacturing and processes for providing services, these engineers deal with several issues at once, from workers’ safety to quality assurance." As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "Solved time-sensitive issues using MSSQL and VBA macro programming. " Yet another important skill that an Industrial Engineer must demonstrate is "Speaking skills." Industrial engineers sometimes have to explain their instructions to production staff or technicians before they can make written instructions available This is clearly demonstrated in this example from an Industrial Engineer who stated: "Represented the warehouse department as part of an ERP System implementation team and currently undergoing continuous improvement projects. " Another skill commonly found on Industrial Engineer resumes is "Writing skills." This description of the skill was found on several Industrial Engineer resumes: "Industrial engineers must prepare documentation for other engineers or scientists, or for future reference" Here's an example from a resume of how this skill could fit into the day-to-day Industrial Engineer responsibilities: "Inventory control, purchasing, technical writing, logistics Engineering and development in products both commercial and governmental Drafting and design" See the full list of Industrial Engineer skills.
We've found that 78.4% of Industrial Engineers have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 12.1% earned their master's degrees before becoming an Industrial Engineer. While it's true that most Industrial Engineers have a college degree, it's generally impossible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every nine Industrial Engineers did not spend the extra money to attend college.
Those Industrial Engineers who do attend college, typically earn either a Industrial Engineering degree or a Mechanical Engineering degree. Less commonly earned degrees for Industrial Engineers include a Industrial Technology degree or a Business degree.
Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become an Industrial Engineer. We've found that most Industrial Engineer resumes include experience from Sysco, HNI, and Raytheon. Of recent, Sysco had 82 positions open for Industrial Engineers. Meanwhile, there are 60 job openings at HNI and 46 at Raytheon.
But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, Industrial Engineers tend to earn the biggest salaries at Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Take Facebook for example. The median Industrial Engineer salary is $128,826. At Google, Industrial Engineers earn an average of $120,539, while the average at Microsoft is $116,712. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.
View more details on Industrial Engineer salaries across the United States.
Some other companies you might be interested in as a Industrial Engineer include Boeing, General Motors, and Lockheed Martin. These three companies were found to hire the most Industrial Engineers from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.
For the most part, Industrial Engineers make their living in the Manufacturing and Technology industries. Industrial Engineers tend to make the most in the Technology industry with an average salary of $84,285. The Industrial Engineer annual salary in the Automotive and Transportation industries generally make $79,721 and $77,130 respectively. Additionally, Industrial Engineers who work in the Technology industry make 11.9% more than Industrial Engineers in the Retail Industry.
