What does an industrial engineering technician do?
Industrial Engineering Technicians help industrial engineers to devise efficient devices that integrate materials, energy, information, workers, and machines. They plan workflows, develop machinery layouts, prepare equipment layouts, analyze company production costs, and participate in statistical production studies. These professionals suggest revisions to equipment layout, operation, or material handling methods. They also interpret engineering formulas, schematic diagrams, and drawings. Moreover, they work with engineering and management staff members to determine reliability or quality standards.
Industrial engineering technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real industrial engineering technician resumes:
- Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
- Perform logistics planning for the rework of new models of aircraft, components, engineers and grind support equipment.
- Design and installation of various jigs and fixtures relate to the facility.
- revise drawing, BOM, accurate work instructions and workmanship standards and procedures.
- Develop and maintain shop layout with necessary tools, jigs, fixtures and equipment.
- Control equipment with PLC's and modify logic when necessary to accommodate system changes.
- Perform internal quality assurance audits that are compliant with corporate policies, ISO practices and procedures.
- Develop supply stream material logistics including supplier relations, quality specifications, handling & storage requirements, and stocking levels.
- Perform tests on RF and digital electronic assemblies and systems to characterize performance, uncover specification deficiencies and repair damage circuitry.
- Maintain Moodle application on VA servers using programming languages including php, css, and html.
- Review weekly MRP requirements and communicate these requirements to purchasing to expedite and defer raw material deliveries as necessary.
Industrial engineering technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Industrial Engineering Technicians are proficient in Process Improvement, Continuous Improvement, and CAD. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Industrial Engineering Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Process Improvement, 14%
Worked directly with machine operators, Manufacturing Engineers and Industrial Engineers on inter-departmental process improvement and cost saving measures.
- Continuous Improvement, 10%
Achieved these goals through the utilization of manufacturing and other Industrial Engineering methods to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- CAD, 7%
Use of CAD for various parts design.
- Lean Manufacturing, 7%
Lean Manufacturing team member responsible for time measurement and manpower reduction.
- Logistics, 6%
Developed supply stream material logistics including supplier relations, quality specifications, handling & storage requirements, and stocking levels.
- Maintenance Procedures, 5%
Conduct studies to establish standardized maintenance procedures, shop layouts, and repair operations.
Most industrial engineering technicians use their skills in "process improvement," "continuous improvement," and "cad" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential industrial engineering technician responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for an industrial engineering technician to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians assess changes in conditions, operations, and the environment to help industrial engineers figure out how systems should work." Additionally, an industrial engineering technician resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "provided cost-reduction data for productivity of manufacturing plant operations. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling industrial engineering technician duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must listen carefully to instructions from engineers and must clearly articulate problems to their supervisors." According to an industrial engineering technician resume, here's how industrial engineering technicians can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "instituted quality concepts such as continuous process improvement, team building and improved communication techniques. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of industrial engineering technicians is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday industrial engineering technician duties, as "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must record precisely what they measure and observe." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "evaluate industrial operations to develop detailed work instructions and also help identify cost reductions and safety improvement opportunities. "
Observational skills. For certain industrial engineering technician responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "observational skills." The day-to-day duties of an industrial engineering technician rely on this skill, as "industrial engineering technologists and technicians closely watch the performance of people or organizations so that they can suggest improvements." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what industrial engineering technicians do: "recorded valuable test data and pointed out deviations that resulted from equipment malfunctions, or observational errors. "
Math skills. A commonly-found skill in industrial engineering technician job descriptions, "math skills" is essential to what industrial engineering technicians do. Industrial engineering technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics and statistical techniques to analyze data collected from studies." You can also see how industrial engineering technician duties rely on math skills in this resume example: "needed good math skills to perform necessary calculations. "
The three companies that hire the most industrial engineering technicians are:
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Compare different industrial engineering technicians
Industrial engineering technician vs. Validation technologist
A validation technologist works with a process chief and applies validation methods to complete tasks and carry out installations. They perform operational protocol duties and do reviews daily. They also analyze the validation test data to make sure it meets the necessary criteria for validation. They may have to generate and conduct all the phases in the validation process. These include IQs, OQ's and PQ's.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an industrial engineering technician are more likely to require skills like "continuous improvement," "cad," "lean manufacturing," and "logistics." On the other hand, a job as a validation technologist requires skills like "python," "test results," "data collection," and "linux." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Validation technologists really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $54,319. Comparatively, industrial engineering technicians tend to make the most money in the automotive industry with an average salary of $68,842.The education levels that validation technologists earn slightly differ from industrial engineering technicians. In particular, validation technologists are 4.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an industrial engineering technician. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial engineering technician vs. Senior process technician
A senior process technician collects data through various experiments aimed at supporting the optimization of processes. They are tasked with testing existing technology, advising ways to boost production, and instituting new technology where necessary. Their other responsibilities include validating production equipment, planning and performing setups, monitoring and guiding production teams, conducting process test runs, and providing insights, technical assistance, and recommendations to engineering and process development personnel.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real industrial engineering technician resumes. While industrial engineering technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "cad," "logistics," "maintenance procedures," and "equipment layout," senior process technicians use skills like "osha," "sr," "management system," and "pathogens."
Senior process technicians earn similar levels of education than industrial engineering technicians in general. They're 4.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial engineering technician vs. Technician
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
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 engineering technician is likely to be skilled in "process improvement," "continuous improvement," "cad," and "lean manufacturing," while a typical technician is skilled in "patients," "customer service," "patient care," and "hand tools."
Technicians make a very good living in the telecommunication industry with an average annual salary of $46,660. On the other hand, industrial engineering technicians are paid the highest salary in the automotive industry, with average annual pay of $68,842.Most technicians achieve a lower degree level compared to industrial engineering technicians. For example, they're 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial engineering technician vs. Process technician
A process technician is responsible for managing the equipment and machinery used for various industries, such as manufacturing and engineering. Process technicians must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on operating certain equipment types and making adjustments on its features as needed, depending on the needs of the operation. They also run diagnostic tests to check a machine's working condition to ensure that it's free of any inconsistencies. A process technician also helps develop structure methods by communicating with the technical team and escalating all defective findings to the supervisor.
Types of industrial engineering technician
Updated January 8, 2025
