Robotics workforce
Industrial engineers: $102,440 median pay and 12% job growth to 2035
$102,440. That was the median annual wage for industrial engineers in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or $49.25 an hour.
These are the engineers who design production systems, cut internal costs and work on the automated side of manufacturing. The BLS counts 365,100 of them and projects 12% growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, as companies look to cut costs and need expertise on automation.
This page traces the pay, employment and outlook to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Data covers BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook; wages May 2025 and projections 2025 to 2035. Published 2026-10-16. Last reviewed 2026-10-16. Last updated 2026-10-16. Edited by Mike Ramsey / Reliable Media.
The figures and where they come from
Each figure is rated for how safely you can cite it today. Ratings judge current usability, not whether a number was ever correct.
| Figure | What it is | Source | Citation Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $102,440 | Median annual wage (May 2025) | [A] | High | Half of industrial engineers earned more and half less. |
| $49.25 | Median hourly wage | [A] | High | The hourly equivalent of the median. |
| $74,370 | Lowest 10% earned less than | [A] | High | The bottom decile in May 2025. |
| $159,860 | Highest 10% earned more than | [A] | High | The top decile in May 2025. |
| 365,100 jobs | Employment level (2025) | [A] | High | Across manufacturing and other industries such as consulting and research. |
| +12% | Projected employment growth, 2025 to 2035 | [A] | Medium | Much faster than the average for all occupations. A projection, revised each edition. |
| +45,400 jobs | Projected employment change, 2025 to 2035 | [A] | Medium | The net gain over the whole decade. |
| about 23,100 | Openings projected each year | [A] | Medium | An annual average over 2025 to 2035, including replacement openings. |
| Cost cutting and automation expertise | Demand driver, per BLS | [A] | High | The Handbook links the demand to companies looking to lower costs. |
Why the numbers disagree
The BLS figure is a median wage from May 2025. Average salaries and job-posting ranges are different measures, so they won't line up with it.
The 12% is a projection for 2025 to 2035, about 45,400 net new jobs over the decade. The 23,100 openings are a yearly average that also covers people leaving the occupation.
Not every industrial engineer works on automation. The BLS says demand comes from optimizing production processes, managing supply chains and logistics, and providing expertise on automation, so automation is one strand among three.
How to cite these figures
Cite it as BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: industrial engineers earned a $102,440 median in May 2025, held 365,100 jobs in 2025, and are projected to grow 12% from 2025 to 2035.
Name the wage as a median and give the decile range, $74,370 to $159,860, when pay spread matters.
Keep "45,400 jobs" as a ten-year net change and "23,100 openings" as a yearly figure.
Where people go wrong
Calling $102,440 an average salary. It's a median.
Reading 23,100 openings a year as 23,100 new jobs a year. Net growth is about 45,400 over the whole decade.
Presenting industrial engineering as an automation job title. The BLS describes a broader role in which automation expertise is one source of demand.
How we checked
Each figure is matched to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entry for industrial engineers: Quick Facts, the pay section, the job outlook paragraph and the projections table.
Measured wages and employment rate High; the 2025 to 2035 projections rate Medium because the BLS revises them each edition.
Full source list
Primary sources, with live links. Every figure above traces to one of these.
- [A]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2025
Industrial Engineers, Occupational Outlook Handbook
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/industrial-engineers.htm
Common questions
- How much do industrial engineers make?
- The median annual wage was $102,440 in May 2025, or $49.25 an hour, per the BLS. The lowest 10% earned less than $74,370 and the highest 10% more than $159,860.
- Is industrial engineering a growing field?
- Yes. The BLS projects 12% growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, or about 45,400 jobs on top of the 365,100 counted in 2025.
- Do industrial engineers work on automation?
- Many do. The BLS says demand is expected to increase for industrial engineers to optimize production processes, manage supply chains and logistics, and provide expertise on automation.
- How many industrial engineer openings are there each year?
- About 23,100 a year on average from 2025 to 2035, according to the BLS projections.
More data, traced to source
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- What a robotics technician actually earns, and why the wage is hard to find
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- The 2.1 million missing manufacturing jobs: what that number actually is
The claim that U.S. manufacturing will have 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030 is everywhere. It traces to a survey of about 800 executives rather than a government projection, and it is usually mis-attributed. Here is exactly what the number is.