Industrial Engineer salary in the U.S.
Industrial Engineers in the U.S. earn a median of $102,440 a year ($49.25 an hour), based on BLS data for 365,740 workers.
Pay ranges from $74,370 for the lowest-paid 10% to $159,860 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $109,900, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for industrial engineers in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $74,370 | $35.76 |
| 25th percentile | $83,600 | $40.19 |
| Median | $102,440 | $49.25 |
| 75th percentile | $129,250 | $62.14 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $159,860 | $76.85 |
| Average (mean) | $109,900 | $52.84 |
Half of industrial engineers earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $8,536.67 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $4,268.33 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $3,940 |
| Weekly | $1,970 |
| Hourly | $49.25 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Industrial Engineer salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $156,510 | 220 |
| Washington | $129,050 | 6,130 |
| Oregon | $128,290 | 5,810 |
| New Mexico | $128,090 | 1,140 |
| California | $124,600 | 32,680 |
| Hawaii | $123,800 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $122,920 | 1,710 |
| Wyoming | $122,070 | 240 |
| Delaware | $120,190 | 820 |
| Maryland | $119,930 | 3,900 |
| Colorado | $109,750 | 5,200 |
| Massachusetts | $109,420 | 11,470 |
| Rhode Island | $109,350 | 990 |
| West Virginia | $108,360 | 850 |
| Arizona | $108,280 | 7,520 |
| Texas | $104,560 | 30,980 |
| Montana | $104,430 | 390 |
| Connecticut | $104,160 | 6,020 |
| Utah | $103,940 | 5,520 |
| New Jersey | $103,840 | 6,870 |
| District of Columbia | $103,300 | 160 |
| Vermont | $103,010 | 440 |
| Minnesota | $102,660 | 17,580 |
| New York | $102,640 | 11,810 |
| Virginia | $102,550 | 5,580 |
| Nevada | $102,090 | 1,570 |
| Michigan | $101,680 | 30,990 |
| Florida | $101,610 | 14,050 |
| New Hampshire | $101,310 | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $101,060 | 7,960 |
| Maine | $101,030 | 1,030 |
| Idaho | $100,840 | 1,330 |
| Illinois | $100,540 | 18,640 |
| Georgia | $100,100 | 8,940 |
| Ohio | $100,060 | 23,480 |
| Alabama | $99,880 | 7,650 |
| Kansas | $99,830 | 3,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $99,560 | 13,180 |
| North Carolina | $99,310 | 11,580 |
| Missouri | $99,290 | 5,070 |
| Tennessee | $99,080 | 7,440 |
| Arkansas | $98,410 | 1,710 |
| Nebraska | $98,170 | 1,160 |
| Iowa | $97,690 | 3,600 |
| Oklahoma | $97,510 | 2,170 |
| Indiana | $97,480 | 11,680 |
| Wisconsin | $96,980 | 13,070 |
| North Dakota | $96,940 | 600 |
| Kentucky | $96,820 | 6,070 |
| Mississippi | $95,830 | 2,450 |
| South Dakota | $93,200 | 830 |
| Puerto Rico | $81,820 | 2,750 |
Best-paying metro areas for industrial engineers
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | $171,910 | 110 |
| Charleston, WV | $143,860 | 160 |
| Midland, TX | $141,120 | 320 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $139,600 | 160 |
| Billings, MT | $139,420 | 110 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $136,950 | 4,800 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $132,290 | 820 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $132,230 | 5,470 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $131,870 | 650 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $131,740 | 120 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $131,210 | 4,590 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $129,890 | 5,230 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $129,500 | 470 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $129,260 | 180 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $128,690 | 60 |
Metro areas with the most industrial engineers
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 17,350 | $104,110 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 13,970 | $104,730 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 12,750 | $101,760 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,460 | $113,040 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10,680 | $105,640 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 9,010 | $118,970 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 8,620 | $111,690 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 8,540 | $105,840 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 6,170 | $103,370 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 5,810 | $109,020 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 5,470 | $132,230 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 5,430 | $105,140 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 5,230 | $129,890 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 4,800 | $102,300 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 4,800 | $136,950 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 | $48.48 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | $50.05 |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 | $58.00 |
| Engineers, All Other | $122,930 | $59.10 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | $62.60 |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | $161,740 | $77.76 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 | $64.89 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 | $51.50 |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $109,370 | $52.58 |
| Materials Engineer | $112,860 | $54.26 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $115,160 | $55.36 |
| Chemical Engineer | $125,040 | $60.12 |
| Petroleum Engineer | $144,910 | $69.67 |
| Nuclear Engineer | $133,970 | $64.41 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 17-2112. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a industrial engineer make in the U.S.?
The median salary for industrial engineers in the U.S. is $102,440 a year, or $49.25 an hour. Pay ranges from $74,370 for the lowest-paid 10% to $159,860 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid industrial engineers make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of industrial engineers in the U.S. earn at least $159,860 a year. The top 25% earn $129,250 or more.
What is the starting pay for industrial engineers in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $74,370 a year, and a quarter of industrial engineers earn $83,600 or less.
How many industrial engineers work in the U.S.?
About 365,740 industrial engineers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.