Becoming an Industrial Engineer via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Kaplan University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering engineering courses to train individuals to become top-notch engineers, audio engineers, aerospace engineers, automotive engineers, automotive technicians, mechanics, aviators, aviation engineers, aviation mechanics, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 65,460 people employed as industrial engineering technicians alone in America, and their average annual salary is $49,030. Industrial production managers make on average $93,650 per year and there are about 147,250 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Kaplan University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for an Industrial Engineer
  • factory
  • hospital
  • engineering company
  • waste management company
  • quality control department
  • distribution and logistics firm
  • business process design firm
  • fire and safety organization
  • research organization
  • business improvement firm
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as an Industrial Engineer
  • your work has a direct measureable impact
  • enable better customer service and product quality
  • improve efficiency of production
  • increased ability to do more with less
  • making work safer faster easier and more rewarding
  • helping companies produce more products quickly
  • making the world safer through better designed products
  • reducing costs associated with new technologies
  • if you are good it will be easy to get promoted into management
  • eliminate waste of time money materials energy and other commodities
Potential Drawbacks
  • you will need to get at least 4 year degree
  • obtaining a degree in this field is often difficult
  • you may have to travel between the plant and the office frequently
  • during busy times you will be expected to work overtime
  • work can be very difficult
  • you will often have to spend most of your time indoors
  • it can be hard to switch career fields because of the specific nature of the training
  • mistakes can be very costly
  • you will be held directly responsible for failures that can result in termination
  • the work is hard without many breaks
Related Professions to Consider
  • Industrial Engineer
  • Sales Engineer Industrial
  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Industrial Construction
  • Electrical Engineer
  • Industrial Sales Engineer
  • Process Engineer
  • Advanced Manufacturing Engineer
  • Controls Engineer
  • Senior Industrial Engineer
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be an Industrial Engineer
  • What qualification and skills will you bring to our organization?
  • What do you do in your free time?
  • What are your key achievements in engineering?
  • How would you describe your work style?
  • What is the difference between predictive-maintenance and proactive-maintenance?
  • What are some strategies you use for managing and prioritizing work for yourself when there is too much work and too few staff members to complete the tasks at hand?
  • Give an example of a time when you felt the greatest sense of accomplishment in your job?
  • Are you a professional engineer?
  • What do you know about data modelling?
  • Which subject is the most favorite as far as the engineering is concerned?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Management Consultant
  • Manufacturing Manager
  • Quality Engineer
  • Systems Engineer
  • Production Manager
  • Computer Engineer
  • Operations Manager
  • Healthcare Manager
  • Quantity Surveyor
  • Plant Manager
Industrial Engineer Training books Industrial Engineer (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • materials engineering
  • electrical engineering
  • petroleum engineering
  • mechanical engineering
  • manufacturing engineering
  • industrial engineering
  • environmental engineering
  • engineering management
  • electrical management
  • computer engineering

Industrial Engineer Salary Information

Category: Industrial production managers

Total # Employed in the US 147,250
Average Hourly Wage: $45.03/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$24.66 $31.58 $40.9 $53.75 $70.21
Average Yearly Salary $93,650
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$51,290 $65,680 $85,080 $111,790 $146,030
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
3.7% 21.8% 23.2% 9.2% 30.2% 10.7% 1.2%
Industrial production managers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Wyoming $54.85/hr $114,090
North Dakota $53.71/hr $111,720
District of Columbia $51.36/hr $106,830
Missouri $50.17/hr $104,340
Oklahoma $48.91/hr $101,740
Montana $48.3/hr $100,470
Colorado $48.16/hr $100,180
Hawaii $46.86/hr $97,460
Mississippi $46.8/hr $97,340
Nebraska $46.52/hr $96,770
Ohio $46.06/hr $95,800
Delaware $45.55/hr $94,740
Virginia $45.52/hr $94,690
Massachusetts $44.69/hr $92,960
South Carolina $44.49/hr $92,540
Louisiana $44.47/hr $92,500
Connecticut $44.06/hr $91,640
North Carolina $43.57/hr $90,630
Puerto Rico $42.97/hr $89,380
Tennessee $42.59/hr $88,590
Kentucky $42.44/hr $88,280
Arkansas $42.39/hr $88,180
Utah $42.06/hr $87,480
Kansas $41.86/hr $87,060
Guam $41.76/hr $86,860
Washington $41.65/hr $86,640
New Hampshire $41.26/hr $85,820
Indiana $40.72/hr $84,700
New Mexico $40.25/hr $83,720
Michigan $40.12/hr $83,450
West Virginia $39.92/hr $83,030
Oregon $39.49/hr $82,140
Alabama $39.4/hr $81,950
New York $39/hr $81,110
Idaho $38.9/hr $80,920
Maryland $38.75/hr $80,600
Alaska $37.75/hr $78,520
Iowa $37.28/hr $77,540
California $37.18/hr $77,330
Nevada $36.67/hr $76,270
South Dakota $36/hr $74,870
Maine $35.36/hr $73,560
Wisconsin $34.81/hr $72,400
New Jersey $34.03/hr $70,780
Pennsylvania $33.88/hr $70,480


Category: Industrial engineers

Total # Employed in the US 209,300
Average Hourly Wage: $37.06/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$23.48 $29.02 $36.11 $44.27 $52.51
Average Yearly Salary $77,090
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$48,840 $60,350 $75,110 $92,080 $109,220
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.3% 8.1% 13.5% 10.2% 49.2% 16.6% 2.1%
Industrial engineers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Alaska $47.5/hr $98,790
Florida $46.1/hr $95,880
Ohio $43.52/hr $90,520
Mississippi $42.8/hr $89,030
Colorado $41.44/hr $86,200
District of Columbia $41.09/hr $85,460
Arkansas $40.86/hr $84,990
North Dakota $40.28/hr $83,780
Wyoming $40.21/hr $83,640
Missouri $39.98/hr $83,160
Connecticut $39.48/hr $82,130
Iowa $39.37/hr $81,900
Tennessee $38.85/hr $80,800
Montana $38.11/hr $79,260
Indiana $38.02/hr $79,070
Oklahoma $37.97/hr $78,980
Virginia $37.76/hr $78,550
Nebraska $37.43/hr $77,850
Idaho $36.96/hr $76,880
Utah $36.91/hr $76,780
Delaware $36.59/hr $76,100
North Carolina $36.14/hr $75,180
Puerto Rico $35.87/hr $74,610
New Hampshire $35.41/hr $73,650
Guam $35.26/hr $73,340
Oregon $35.15/hr $73,110
Alabama $35.01/hr $72,820
Michigan $34.99/hr $72,780
Washington $34.52/hr $71,790
South Carolina $34.46/hr $71,680
Maine $34.35/hr $71,440
New Jersey $34.12/hr $70,970
New York $34.06/hr $70,840
Kansas $33.97/hr $70,670
Kentucky $33.93/hr $70,560
Massachusetts $33.77/hr $70,240
Maryland $33.59/hr $69,870
New Mexico $33.59/hr $69,870
Wisconsin $33.43/hr $69,540
Louisiana $33.22/hr $69,090
Pennsylvania $33.04/hr $68,720
South Dakota $33.04/hr $68,730
West Virginia $33.02/hr $68,680
Hawaii $33/hr $68,640
California $31.91/hr $66,370
Nevada $31.04/hr $64,570


Category: Commercial and industrial designers

Total # Employed in the US 29,170
Average Hourly Wage: $29.52/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$15.29 $20.21 $27.92 $37.16 $46.11
Average Yearly Salary $61,400
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$31,810 $42,040 $58,060 $77,300 $95,910
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.7% 13.0% 19.3% 14.1% 42.5% 7.1% 1.1%
Commercial and industrial designers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Massachusetts $35.15/hr $73,100
Missouri $35.04/hr $72,880
Maine $34.67/hr $72,100
Montana $34.45/hr $71,660
Oregon $33.43/hr $69,540
Colorado $33.16/hr $68,970
North Dakota $32.54/hr $67,690
Oklahoma $30.38/hr $63,190
Michigan $29.29/hr $60,920
Guam $29.28/hr $60,910
Hawaii $29.2/hr $60,740
Idaho $29.18/hr $60,700
Nevada $29.15/hr $60,640
Virginia $28.77/hr $59,850
Arkansas $27.87/hr $57,960
New York $27.84/hr $57,920
Wyoming $27.73/hr $57,670
Puerto Rico $27.69/hr $57,600
South Carolina $27.67/hr $57,550
Delaware $27.61/hr $57,420
Tennessee $27.45/hr $57,100
Connecticut $27.29/hr $56,770
New Hampshire $26.46/hr $55,040
Utah $26.14/hr $54,370
Alabama $26.11/hr $54,300
Nebraska $26.08/hr $54,240
North Carolina $26.06/hr $54,210
Kentucky $25.52/hr $53,080
Wisconsin $25.45/hr $52,940
South Dakota $25.41/hr $52,860
Kansas $24.87/hr $51,740
Indiana $24.55/hr $51,060
Washington $24.41/hr $50,780
Maryland $23.29/hr $48,450
Louisiana $23.09/hr $48,020
California $22.89/hr $47,610
Mississippi $22.19/hr $46,160
New Mexico $20.55/hr $42,750
Pennsylvania $20.15/hr $41,920
Iowa $18.76/hr $39,030
West Virginia $17.13/hr $35,630
New Jersey $15.85/hr $32,960


Category: Industrial machinery mechanics

Total # Employed in the US 276,230
Average Hourly Wage: $22.19/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$14.02 $17.21 $21.38 $26.4 $32.05
Average Yearly Salary $46,160
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$29,160 $35,810 $44,470 $54,910 $66,660
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
11.7% 43.8% 26.2% 12.0% 5.6% 0.5% 0.2%
Industrial machinery mechanics — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Alaska $31.93/hr $66,410
Florida $27.92/hr $58,070
New York $26.12/hr $54,340
District of Columbia $25.57/hr $53,180
Colorado $25.22/hr $52,450
Indiana $24.66/hr $51,300
Missouri $24.26/hr $50,470
Kansas $24.12/hr $50,170
Delaware $24.06/hr $50,040
Montana $23.8/hr $49,500
North Dakota $23.74/hr $49,380
Pennsylvania $23.68/hr $49,260
Oklahoma $23.41/hr $48,700
South Carolina $23.37/hr $48,610
Arkansas $23.21/hr $48,270
Tennessee $23.13/hr $48,100
Mississippi $23.06/hr $47,970
New Jersey $22.96/hr $47,760
Kentucky $22.59/hr $46,980
Ohio $22.35/hr $46,490
Nebraska $22.22/hr $46,210
Connecticut $22.22/hr $46,220
Massachusetts $21.9/hr $45,540
Maryland $21.9/hr $45,550
Alabama $21.84/hr $45,440
North Carolina $21.68/hr $45,100
Wyoming $21.45/hr $44,610
Utah $21.43/hr $44,570
Nevada $21.4/hr $44,510
Washington $21/hr $43,680
Guam $20.94/hr $43,540
Hawaii $20.83/hr $43,330
New Hampshire $20.8/hr $43,260
Puerto Rico $20.68/hr $43,000
Maine $20.44/hr $42,510
Louisiana $20.44/hr $42,510
Iowa $20.36/hr $42,340
Oregon $20.15/hr $41,910
New Mexico $20.05/hr $41,700
Virginia $20.03/hr $41,670
Michigan $20.03/hr $41,660
South Dakota $19.92/hr $41,430
California $19.9/hr $41,400
Wisconsin $19.89/hr $41,380
Idaho $19.76/hr $41,110
West Virginia $18.81/hr $39,110


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