Industrial Engineer salary
From 18,087 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2112: Industrial Engineers
- Also filed as: Manufacturing Engineer
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 39% of Industrial Engineer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Tesla. 1,690 filings (9% of the total), median $130,000.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 10 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $98,000 in Chicago, IL to $147,400 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 30% since FY2020. From $86,000 in FY2020 to $111,717 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Industrial Engineer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 18,087 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Industrial Engineer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2112, Industrial Engineers). The median base salary is $108,706, 11% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $91,778 and $133,120. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 39% of filings. San Jose, CA has the most filings (1,901), and Tesla is the employer that files the most (1,690).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Industrial Engineer
Tesla1,690 filings · 9%$130,000
Amazon650 filings · 4%$136,800
Apple447 filings · 2%$166,962
Rivian266 filings · 1%$123,070
Micron204 filings · 1%$111,891
Lucid Motors190 filings · 1%$125,840
Intellectt189 filings · 1%$97,760
Applied Materials178 filings · 1%$135,156
VAStek168 filings · 1%$87,360
Cummins164 filings · 1%$96,751
Employers with the most Industrial Engineer filings. Bar: share of all Industrial Engineer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 20% of filings
Mid-level · 39% of filings
Senior · 22% of filings
Expert · 19% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $81,037 | 3,515 |
| Level II · Qualified | $100,000 | 6,701 |
| Level III · Experienced | $123,000 | 3,729 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $141,015 | 3,328 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Industrial Engineer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 179 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Industrial Engineer does
Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination.
Typical tasks
- Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
- Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
- Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Industrial Engineers (17-2112.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Industrial Engineers), the median annual wage was $102,440 in May 2025, with 365,740 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $108,706, 6% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,955 | $74,370 |
| 25th percentile | $91,778 | $83,600 |
| Median | $108,706 | $102,440 |
| 75th percentile | $133,120 | $129,250 |
| 90th percentile | $160,000 | $159,860 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $79,955 |
| 25th | $91,778 |
| 50th (median) | $108,706 |
| 75th | $133,120 |
| 90th | $160,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $86,000 | $73,974 | $109,350 | 4,566 |
| FY2021 | $92,976 | $78,853 | $116,500 | 4,985 |
| FY2022 | $99,986 | $83,595 | $123,824 | 6,223 |
| FY2023 | $100,000 | $85,558 | $120,640 | 7,551 |
| FY2024 | $103,382 | $86,401 | $127,396 | 8,354 |
| FY2025 | $105,290 | $90,000 | $130,582 | 10,053 |
| FY2026 | $111,717 | $94,557 | $135,000 | 8,034 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Industrial Engineer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Industrial Engineer jobs is $108,706 (18,087 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $91,778 and $133,120.
What does an entry-level Industrial Engineer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $81,037. Level I accounts for 20% of Industrial Engineer filings.
Which city pays H-1B Industrial Engineers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Industrial Engineer jobs: $147,400 (1,901 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Industrial Engineers?
Tesla (1,690), Amazon (650) and Apple (447) filed the most Industrial Engineer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Industrial Engineers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($108,706) is 6% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($102,440, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.