Industrial Engineer salary

Q: How much does an industrial engineer make?

The median industrial engineer salary in the U.S. is about $101,140 per year. Most industrial engineers earn between $70,000 and $157,140, and top earners (90th percentile) make $157,140 or more. These national figures come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS) wage data.

Q: How much do entry-level industrial engineers make?

Entry-level industrial engineers (0–2 years) earn about $79,000 per year, rising to roughly $109,000 at mid-level and $136,500+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Q: Do industrial engineers make good money?

Yes. The median industrial engineer salary of $101,140 is 16% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced industrial engineers can earn $157,140 or more.

Q: Which cities pay industrial engineers the most?

Estimated industrial engineer pay is highest in Vallejo ($140,500), New Orleans ($139,130), Midland ($137,110). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

Verified

Updated March 2025

Industrial engineers design efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, and information to make a product or service.

Median pay

$101,140

U.S. typical

Top earners

$157,140

90th percentile

Entry level

$79,000

0–2 yrs

Senior

$136,500

15+ yrs

The median industrial engineer salary in the U.S. is about $101,140 per year. Entry-level pay starts near $70,000, while top earners (90th percentile) make $157,140 or more. Add your city and experience for a sharper, local number.

Median annual wage

$101,140

Mean

$107,900

10th pct · $70,00090th pct · $157,140

What industrial engineers do

Analyze and optimize production and supply-chain processes, reduce waste, and improve quality and throughput.

Industrial engineers design efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, and information to make a product or service.

What affects industrial engineer pay

▹Industry (tech and aerospace pay above traditional manufacturing)
▹Lean/Six Sigma certifications
▹Years of experience
▹Operations vs. quality vs. supply chain focus
▹Metro cost of labor

Industrial Engineer salary by experience

Pay typically climbs from about $79,000 for entry level engineers to $136,500+ at the principal / staff level.

Entry level 0–2 yrs

$79,000

Early career 3–5 yrs

$95,000

Mid level 6–9 yrs

$109,000

Senior 10–14 yrs

$123,500

Principal / Staff 15+ yrs

$136,500

Your actual offer depends on company, location, and specialization — run the calculator for a tailored range.

Highest-paying cities for industrial engineers

Published industrial engineer pay in the top-paying U.S. metro areas, vs the national benchmark.

15results

Metro	State	Median	90th pct	vs U.S.	Data
Vallejo California	CA	$140,500	$177,770	+39%	Verified
New Orleans Louisiana	LA	$139,130	$178,760	+38%	Verified
Midland Texas	TX	$137,110	$222,240	+36%	Verified
San Jose California	CA	$136,290	$210,070	+35%	Verified
San Francisco California	CA	$133,790	$202,860	+32%	Verified
Baton Rouge Louisiana	LA	$127,350	$178,890	+26%	Verified
Portland Oregon	OR	$126,530	$207,180	+25%	Verified
Seattle Washington	WA	$126,310	$177,010	+25%	Verified
Boise Idaho	ID	$125,940	$153,780	+25%	Verified
Albuquerque New Mexico	NM	$125,480	$206,330	+24%	Verified
Santa Maria California	CA	$124,990	$174,750	+24%	Verified
Bridgeport Connecticut	CT	$123,350	$153,230	+22%	Verified
Beaumont Texas	TX	$123,270	$167,180	+22%	Verified
Santa Rosa California	CA	$117,690	$165,990	+16%	Verified
Houston Texas	TX	$116,170	$177,840	+15%	Verified

Industrial Engineer salary by state

All 51 states with published industrial engineer wage data, ranked highest to lowest. Open a state for its full metro-level breakdown.

Rank	State	Median	90th pct
1	Alaska	$142,980	$212,750
2	Louisiana	$126,960	$178,760
3	Oregon	$124,560	$207,180
4	California	$123,070	$177,300
5	Wyoming	$122,540	$170,010
6	Washington	$119,670	$173,910
7	New Mexico	$119,390	$206,330
8	District of Columbia	$118,960	$157,450
9	Delaware	$118,670	$153,860
10	Idaho	$112,490	$155,370
11	Rhode Island	$110,470	$160,440
12	Arizona	$110,100	$173,640
13	Maryland	$109,560	$166,100
14	Massachusetts	$108,350	$161,930
15	Colorado	$106,980	$158,600
16	West Virginia	$104,610	$174,980
17	New Jersey	$103,880	$143,950
18	Texas	$103,430	$166,370
19	Florida	$103,340	$173,260
20	Montana	$103,210	$136,800
21	Vermont	$101,780	$136,920
22	New York	$101,770	$152,090
23	Minnesota	$101,600	$145,820
24	Connecticut	$101,020	$138,830
25	Utah	$100,710	$137,140
26	New Hampshire	$100,550	$146,440
27	Nevada	$100,170	$145,620
28	Illinois	$99,990	$142,490
29	Virginia	$99,990	$154,590
30	Iowa	$99,960	$133,560
31	Hawaii	$99,850	$155,350
32	Michigan	$99,680	$137,970
33	Ohio	$99,490	$135,160
34	Maine	$99,260	$134,420
35	Alabama	$99,120	$145,060
36	South Carolina	$98,830	$136,750
37	Georgia	$98,550	$142,110
38	Tennessee	$98,230	$134,070
39	North Carolina	$97,150	$134,360
40	Indiana	$97,080	$136,340
41	Kansas	$96,650	$143,790
42	Pennsylvania	$96,320	$137,980
43	Arkansas	$95,860	$136,050
44	Kentucky	$95,780	$134,110
45	Missouri	$95,610	$142,240
46	Oklahoma	$95,180	$155,550
47	Nebraska	$95,150	$135,910
48	Wisconsin	$95,090	$129,680
49	Mississippi	$93,110	$134,450
50	South Dakota	$89,450	$133,720
51	North Dakota	$84,610	$122,210

Figures are published state wage data, not modeled. States without published data for this occupation are not listed. See Source details for provenance.

Industrial Engineer salary — frequently asked questions

How much does an industrial engineer make?

The median industrial engineer salary in the U.S. is about $101,140 per year. Most industrial engineers earn between $70,000 and $157,140, and top earners (90th percentile) make $157,140 or more. These national figures come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS) wage data.

What is the highest industrial engineer salary?

Top-earning industrial engineers (90th percentile) make about $157,140 or more nationally. In the highest-paying metros, estimated pay can run even higher — for example around $140,500 in Vallejo. Metro figures are cost-of-labor estimates, not direct BLS metro data.

How much do entry-level industrial engineers make?

Entry-level industrial engineers (0–2 years) earn about $79,000 per year, rising to roughly $109,000 at mid-level and $136,500+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Do industrial engineers make good money?

Yes. The median industrial engineer salary of $101,140 is 16% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced industrial engineers can earn $157,140 or more.

Which cities pay industrial engineers the most?

Estimated industrial engineer pay is highest in Vallejo ($140,500), New Orleans ($139,130), and Midland ($137,110). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

How can an industrial engineer earn more?

Industrial Engineer pay rises most with industry (tech and aerospace pay above traditional manufacturing), lean/six sigma certifications, and years of experience. Moving to a higher-cost metro, specializing, and taking on senior or lead scope are the biggest levers — the salary calculator lets you model each one.

Source details

Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2112 (Industrial Engineers), national.

Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →