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Industrial Engineers

Also called: Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Process Engineer, Project Engineer

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What they do:
Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination.
On the job, you would:
  • Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
  • Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
  • Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology
  • product and service development
  • mechanical
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • manufacture and distribution of products
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Math and Science
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
  • 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
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
Attention
  • pay attention to something without being distracted

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Cooperation

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software
  • Minitab
  • The MathWorks MATLAB Hot Technology
Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology In Demand
Computer aided design CAD software
  • Bentley MicroStation Hot Technology
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
some college
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright Outlook
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Salary
$95,300
$60,850
$129,620
Check out my state Local Salary Info Find Jobs

Explore More

See more details at O*NET OnLine about industrial engineers.