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What is an industrial process engineer and how to become one
Industrial process engineers are the brains behind making manufacturing more profitable and efficient. They study design and production -- usually in the chemical, agricultural, and metallurgical engineering fields -- looking for ways to improve the transformation of raw materials into useful consumer goods.
An industrial process engineer's duties will vary depending on the company and area they work in but may include designing new products, improving existing designs, and inspecting manufacturing processes for inefficiencies.
The work of an industrial process engineer might be mainly research-focused, testing new formulations and processes as they seek to optimize a manufacturer's production. They can also be expected to write and present reports regarding their findings to senior management and colleagues.
The education prerequisites of an industrial process engineer vary depending on the type of manufacturing they work in, but a bachelor's degree in process, chemical, or a related engineering field is usually required. On average, industrial process engineers earn an annual salary of around $90,000.
What general advice would you give to an industrial process engineer?
James Swisher
Director of Continuing Education, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
Avg. Salary $73,891
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%
Asian 13.77%
Black or African American 4.45%
Hispanic or Latino 10.93%
Unknown 3.91%
White 66.77%
Genderfemale 16.55%
male 83.45%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Industrial process engineer career paths
Key steps to become an industrial process engineer
Explore industrial process engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific industrial process engineer skills
Skills Percentages Process Design 9.40% Sigma 7.30% Autocad 7.30% Lean Manufacturing 6.80% Kaizen 5.65% Complete relevant industrial process engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New industrial process engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an industrial process engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real industrial process engineer resumes.Research industrial process engineer duties and responsibilities
- Lead continuous improvement and cost reduction projects that lead to kaizen events with a cross functional leadership team.
- Lead and assist maintenance in resolving equipment malfunctions, troubleshoot process problems, and organize and implement preventative maintenance procedures.
- Complete process time studies, change BOM and process routers, PCN's and JD Edwards.
- Implement real time yields and control charts (SPC) at workstation.
Prepare your industrial process engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your industrial process engineer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an industrial process engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable industrial process engineer resume templates
Build a professional industrial process engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your industrial process engineer resume.
Apply for industrial process engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an industrial process engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first industrial process engineer job
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Average industrial process engineer salary
The average industrial process engineer salary in the United States is $73,891 per year or $36 per hour. Industrial process engineer salaries range between $58,000 and $94,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do industrial process engineers rate their job?
Industrial process engineer reviews
To maximize company's productivity,reducing wastes, avoiding un necessary costs,setting the proper work flow
Being on the field doing running inspections and learning from the technicians
Being expose to bad weather that compromise the safety of operations.
Schedules my co worker where to work each day and making sure the process is flowing with the machines, materials and the needed information to make the products and service come out right.
The pay grade is low keyed for the type of production we produce. Average salary is $78,540 dollars...
Updated January 8, 2025
