Industrial engineering technologists and technicians suggest changes to operating methods, material handling and equipment layout, interpret engineering drawings and formulas, work with management on quality standards, help plan work assignments around machines and schedules, chart workflows and floor layouts, and collect data for process improvement. Their job is to make production run better.
The short answer: low exposure, with average growth, and automation is part of their work rather than a threat to it. The ILO's 2025 index rates the closest group, physical and engineering science technicians not elsewhere classified, as not exposed with a score of 0.26. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average, with about 6,600 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed industrial engineering technicians are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and Engineering Science Technicians Not Elsewhere Classified | Not exposed | 0.26 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for industrial engineering technicians, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial engineering technologists and technicians | Grow 3% | About 6,600 |
The BLS says an emphasis on cost control through increased efficiency, along with these technicians' role in assisting with automation, is expected to sustain demand for them.
Where AI is helping
- Analyzing process data to find bottlenecks, with results to check.
- Drafting charts, workflow diagrams and reports.
- Drafting work schedules around machine capacity.
What stays with industrial engineering technicians
- On the floor: watching how work, materials and machines actually move.
- Automation projects: helping plan and put automation in place, as the BLS describes.
- Quality: agreeing quality and reliability standards with management.
- Checking AI help: generated analyses and schedules can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
The BLS sees these technicians helping companies automate and cut costs. Knowing how a production floor really works is what makes that help useful. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace engineers?, will AI replace industrial production managers? and will AI replace quality control inspectors?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for industrial engineering technicians at $66,120 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: associate's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace industrial engineering technicians?
Not on current projections. The BLS projects 3 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,600 openings a year.
How exposed are industrial engineering technicians to AI?
The closest ILO group, physical and engineering science technicians not elsewhere classified, is not exposed, with a score of 0.26.
What drives demand?
The BLS points to cost control through efficiency and to their role in assisting with automation.
What do industrial engineering technicians do?
They suggest better methods and layouts, chart workflows, plan work around machines and schedules and collect data for process improvement.