Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

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$62,610 Median Wage (2023)
6,700 Projected job openings (2023-2033)
4.1% Projected growth (2023-2033)

Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency.

Experience Requirements Overview

  • Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
  • Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
  • Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
  • Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Some College Courses

Related Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

  • Monitor processes for compliance with standards.
  • Test products for functionality or quality.
  • Inspect operational processes.
  • Monitor activities affecting environmental quality.
  • Estimate operational costs.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

  • Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications.
  • Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.
  • Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
  • Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications.
  • Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance.
  • Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays.
  • Evaluate industrial operations for compliance with permits or regulations related to the generation, storage, treatment, transportation, or disposal of hazardous materials or waste.
  • Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance.
  • Analyze, estimate, or report production costs.
  • Assist engineers in developing, building, or testing prototypes or new products, processes, or procedures.
  • Calibrate or adjust equipment to ensure quality production, using tools such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, protractors, or ring gauges.
  • Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable and nonsustainable designs.
  • Coordinate equipment purchases, installations, or transfers.
  • Create or interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, formulas, or blueprints for management or engineering staff.
  • Design plant layouts or production facilities.
  • Develop manufacturing infrastructure to integrate or deploy new manufacturing processes.
  • Develop or implement programs to address problems related to production, materials, safety, or quality.
  • Develop production, inventory, or quality assurance programs.
  • Develop sustainable manufacturing technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize raw material use, replace toxic materials with non-toxic materials, replace non-renewable materials with renewable materials, or reduce waste.
  • Identify opportunities for improvements in quality, cost, or efficiency of automation equipment.
  • Monitor and adjust production processes or equipment for quality and productivity.
  • Oversee equipment start-up, characterization, qualification, or release.
  • Oversee or inspect production processes.
  • Prepare layouts, drawings, or sketches of machinery or equipment, such as shop tooling, scale layouts, or new equipment design, using drafting equipment or computer-aided design (CAD) software.
  • Prepare production documents, such as standard operating procedures, manufacturing batch records, inventory reports, or productivity reports.
  • Provide advice or training to other technicians.
  • Recommend corrective or preventive actions to assure or improve product quality or reliability.
  • Select cleaning materials, tools, or equipment.
  • Select material quantities or processing methods needed to achieve efficient production.
  • Set up and operate production equipment in accordance with current good manufacturing practices and standard operating procedures.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.