Inventing the Future: Industrial Engineering Job Outlook
America has always been a country
of inventors since the time of Ben Franklin and Alexander Graham Bell to Bill
Gates. Because of our nature, industrial engineers are needed to translate the
invention into a usable, sellable everyday product or service.
Employment opportunities for industrial engineers are
expected to grow at about the same rate as other occupations through the year
2014, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Industrial engineers usually have been employed by manufacturers, but because of
the slow growth of most manufacturing industries, expanding job opportunities
will be more prevalent in the service industries.
Several factors contribute to a positive job outlook for
industrial engineers:
*not too many students study engineering, but the need for engineers exists,
*companies must stay competitive with their products,
*companies are always looking to minimize costs and maximize production by improving their manufacturing
processes, and
*new technology development means that processes can be refined and optimized on an ongoing basis.
Salaries for industrial engineers can vary upon the level
of education and the industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Bureau of Statistics, technicians with a high school degree earned a median
hourly wage in 2004 that ranged between $13.50 and $25.00. The median annual
income for an industrial engineer with a higher education degree was $65,000.
Industrial Engineering career
information can be found here.
