Human Factors Engineers & Ergonomists

design information investigative safety performance process human behavior procedure human factor engineering ergonomic principle

Consulting Ergonomist, Ergonomist, Human Factors Engineer, Occupational Ergonomist

What they do:
Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. Investigate and analyze characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of technology.
On the job, you would:
  • Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.
  • Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols.
  • Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology

  • product and service development
  • design

Math and Science

  • psychology
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Skills

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • communicate by writing

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • use rules to solve problems

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Visual Understanding

  • see hidden patterns

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Dependability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cooperation
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software

  • IBM SPSS Statistics Hot Technology
  • The MathWorks MATLAB Hot Technology

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology In Demand

Web platform development software

  • AJAX Hot Technology
  • JavaScript Object Notation JSON Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree or
doctoral degree
usually needed

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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about human factors engineers and ergonomists.