Industrial Engineer

Answer 1

The Career

Industrial engineers design new solutions for the transport of goods, services, and people through a supply chain. Because of this, industrial engineers work closely with employees in supply chain management, logistics, and operations research. These engineers ensure that a business or government’s network of goods runs at maximum efficiency, whether a product is being moved from a warehouse in China to a store in Michigan, or from one city to a neighboring city. This puts industrial engineers on the forefront of sustainable enterprise, developing models and methods to conserve the most amount of resources possible within the supply chain.

Their work with people is paramount to a productive workforce. Industrial engineers can be found consulting in loss prevention and environmental health, ensuring that their companies retain their workers and preventing unnecessary employee turnover.

Education And Training

Industrial engineering requires either a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in the specialty. While most master’s degree programs require a bachelor’s in engineering, some will take students with degrees in business. Because industrial engineers design processes and operations, rather than objects and buildings, the field is often less technical than other engineering specialties. Industrial engineers are heavily trained in mathematics, economics, law, administration, accounting, and business, with little to no emphasis on physics and life sciences.

Salary

Entry level salaries will begin at about $60,000, with experienced industrial engineers earning over $75,000. Due to their business training, industrial engineers often transition into management positions further into their careers, which increases their earning potential.

Job Outlook

Job growth for industrial engineering is expected to be good, with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting 14% growth by 2018. Furthermore, industrial engineers are highly coveted in developing countries needing infrastructure and supply chain planners. Because of this, these engineers will find job opportunities all around the globe. As long as there are developing countries in need of new economic and transportation systems, there will be job openings for industrial engineers.