Industrial Engineering As A Career Option

One of the challenging fields, a career in industrial engineering can turn out to be a good option for the brave hearted. Read on to know more about industrial engineering as a career option. 

What do Industrial Engineers (IEs) do?

For those who are not completely aware of this extraordinary branch of engineering studies, the question lies for them that what is it that industrial engineers do?

Well to answer this frequently asked question, we have to say that industrial engineering is all about choices. As with most other fields of engineering the disciplinary skills and training applies to specific areas of expertise only. But that is not the case with industrial engineering. A degree in IE gives individuals the chance to work in a variety of fields.

According to many experts in this field it is commonly said that an industrial engineering degree offers a student with the best of both worlds. It provides them education in engineering as well as business.

The most significant aspect of this subject is the flexibility that comes with it. An IE can do anything from shortening a rollercoaster line, to streamlining an operating room or distributing products worldwide or manufacturing superior automobiles. All these tasks have the common objective that is to save the parent organization’s money and to increase efficiency with least possible resources.

Demand for Industrial Engineers

There is a growing need for industrial engineers in the ever so competitive world market in various companies with different specializations as they maintain a philosophy of improving the quality and continuous productivity. The main reason for this is because industrial engineers are the only people who are specifically trained in increasing the quality and enhancing productivity, which is contrary to engineers in other disciplines.

The main responsibility of all industrial engineers is to figure out how to get the job done better. They are concerned with engineering processes that enhance the quality and productivity of a company. They are mostly concerned with eliminating unnecessary waste of time, energy, materials and other items. This is one the main reasons for most IEs obtaining promotions to management positions in the future.

Although the engineering degree can mislead many people by bringing up in mind about manufacturing industries, but one has to understand that it also encompasses various service industries. For instance many industrial engineers are employed in entertainment industries, healthcare, logistics and shipping companies etc.

How Industrial Engineers can make things better?

An industrial engineer improves processes by the following mentioned ways:

1. Improving efficiency of systems.
2. Coming up with more efficient and more profitable business practices.
3. Increasing an organization’s ability to do more with less.
4. Ensuring better customer service and product quality.
5. Making the workflow safer, faster, easier, and more rewarding for the workers.
6. Helping to make the world safer through better designed and earth-friendly products.
7. Helping industries produce more products quickly.
8. Reducing costs associated with new technologies by proper management of resources.

Educational Curriculum

Mainly the bachelor’s degree obtained is usually a B.S (Bachelor of sciences) in industrial engineering or a B.S.I.E (in industrial engineering).  Different variations seen in the main title are Industrial & Operations Engineering (IOE) and Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE).

Salary Trends and Employment Statistics

As of 2006, the total numbers of industrial engineers employed in the U.S were roughly found to be 1.5 million. On an average starting salary of an engineer in this field can be expected to be about 55,650 USD. For individuals with a bachelor’s degree in this discipline were found to draw a salary of about 64,759 USD and those with a master’s or equivalent degree or even higher like a doctors’ degree were noted to get 77,364 USD. This salary trends places industrial engineering at 7th of 15 amongst engineering bachelors’ degrees, 3rd of 10 amid masters’ degrees, and 2nd of 7 among doctorate degrees in average annual salary ratings. The median annual income of industrial engineers in the U.S. workforce is found to be 68,620 USD.

Those who want to opt for something different and take up a more challenging field as a profession, industrial engineering can turn out to be a good option.

Author Bio: A professional writer and an ardent blogger, Sampurna Majumder has been lending her knowhow to prominent websites like Shiksha.com by penning articles and blog posts on popular courses, educational trends and institutes like these. The above post explores the significance of career counselling.