What Does an Industrial Engineer Do?

Is Industrial Engineering A Good Career?

Why U.C.F. Industrial Engineering?

What Professional Societies Are Associated With U.C.F. Industrial Engineering?

What Is the Outlook for Industrial Engineers In the Market Place?

What is the Earning Potential for Industrial Engineers?

What Does an Industrial Engineer Do? 

Industrial engineers integrate the following factors in order to produce a product or provide a service:

• People
• Machines
• Materials
• Information 
• Energy 

Industrial Engineers are the bridge between management goals and operational performance. They are more concerned with increasing productivity through the management of people, methods of business organization, and technology than are engineers in other specialties, who generally work more with products or processes.

To solve organizational, production, and related problems most efficiently, industrial engineers carefully study the product and its requirements, use mathematical methods such as operations research to meet those requirements, and design manufacturing and information systems. They develop management control systems to aid in financial planning and cost analysis, design production planning and control systems to coordinate activities and control product quality, and design or improve systems for the physical distribution of goods and services. Industrial engineers determine which plant location has the best combination of raw materials availability, transportation, and costs. They also develop wage and salary administration systems and job evaluation programs. Many industrial engineers move into management positions because the work is closely related.

Is Industrial Engineering a Good Career?

According to the 1999 Jobs Rated Almanac, Industrial Engineers ranked as the eighth most desirable profession in the United States.

Why U.C.F. Industrial Engineering?

UCF's Department of Industrial Engineering holds the following distinctions:

• First in Florida and nationally ranked in terms of external research support.
• First in Florida in terms of research support per faculty member.
• First and in terms of enrollment in its graduate programs.
• All regular faculty members hold the PhD degree.
• The faculty has a good balance between academic and practical engineering experience, which results in graduates who are recognized for their ability to quickly become practical and productive employees.

U.C.F. boasts the following for the Industrial Engineering Department:

• 120 undergraduate Industrial Engineering majors.
• Over 350 Master's awarded.
• 80 PhD students.
• The Industrial Engineering Department has awarded over 800 degrees since UCF opened its 
      doors 20 years ago.

What Professional Societies Are Associated with U.C.F. Industrial Engineering?

The Institute of Industrial Engineers

The Institute of Industrial Engineers was founded in 1948 and is the society dedicated to 
serving the professional needs of industrial engineers and all individuals involved 
with improving quality and productivity.

Benefits of IIE:

• 24,000 members throughout North America.
• 80+ countries have IIE Chapters.
• Members gain leadership experience and enjoy peer recognition via volunteer opportunities.
• Members stay on the cutting edge of their profession through the following:   
  • IIE's educational opportunities.
  • Publications.
  • Networking opportunities. 

For information about IIE at U.C.F., email iie@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu

For information about IIE National Happenings: www.iienet.org

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers

SME was founded in 1932 and is the world’s leading professional society serving the 
manufacturing industries.

Benefits Of SME:

• 60,000 members throughout the world.
• 70 countries have SME chapters.
• SME influences more than 500,000 manufacturing executives, managers and engineers via:
  • Publications.
  • Expositions.
  • Professional development resources.

For information about SME at U.C.F.: Call (407) 823-4567 or email sme@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu

For the U.C.F. SME homepage: pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~sme/

For information about SME National Happenings: www.sme.org

Industrial Engineering Honor Society (Alpha-Pi-Mu)

Established in 1949, the Industrial Engineering Honor Society honors juniors who have 
maintained an average scholastic grade in the upper one-fifth, and seniors who have 
maintained an average scholastic grade in the upper one-third of the Industrial 
Engineering class of which they are a member. In addition, graduate students who receive 
a written recommendation from the head of the Department of Industrial Engineering or a 
member of the faculty designated by the department head shall be eligible for active 
membership in Alpha-Pi-Mu.

Alpha-Pi-Mu recognizes students of Industrial Engineering who have shown excellence the 
following:

• Academic interests and abilities.
• Leadership.
• Ethicality.
• Sociability.
• Widespread interest.

Alpha Pi Mu encourages participation in activities, which may be beneficial to the 
profession of Industrial Engineering. It encourages assistance and cooperation with all 
organizations and persons working for the interests of Industrial Engineering.

For information contact:
Alpha Pi Mu 
U.C.F. Department of Industrial Engineering 
P.O. Box 162450 
Orlando, FL 
32816-2450

American Society of Quality

ASQ was founded in 1946 with the merger of several local quality societies scattered 
across the United States. These groups were formed to share information about statistical 
quality control after classes on that subject were held during World War II. ASQ is a 
society of individual and organizational members dedicated to the ongoing, development, 
advancement, and promotion of quality concepts, principles, and techniques. ASQ has 
products, services, and–most of all–information to help people in all walks of life 
grapple with perplexing issues like total quality management, benchmarking, productivity, 
and more. Most of the quality methods now used throughout the world–including statistical 
process control, quality cost measurement and control, total quality management, and zero 
defects–were initiated by ASQ members.

Benefits of ASQ:

• 130,000 members.
• 1,000 organizational members.
• Updates on new quality issues, techniques, and standards.

For information about ASQ at U.C.F.: Call (407) 823-6049 or email asqc@pegasus.cc.ucf

For the U.C.F. ASQ homepage: pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~asqc/

For information about ASQ National Happenings: www.asq.org

What is the outlook for Industrial Engineers in the marketplace?

Employment of industrial engineers is expected to grow 10%-20% through 2008. Since the 
main function of an industrial engineer is to make a higher quality product as efficiently 
as possible, their services should be in demand in the manufacturing sector as firms seek 
to reduce costs and increase productivity through scientific management. In addition to 
job growth, openings will result from the need to replace industrial engineers who 
transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

According to the 1998 Department of Labor Statistics:

• Industrial engineers held about 126,000 jobs.
• Manufacturing accounts for over 70 percent the Industrial Engineering jobs.
• Since Industrial Engineering skills can be used in almost any type of organization, they 
  are more widely distributed among manufacturing industries than other engineering 
  disciplines.
• Industrial Engineering skills are readily applied to other occupations such as:
  • Management services
  • Utilities
  • Business services
  • Government agencies
  • Independent consultants.

What is the Earning Potential for Industrial Engineers?

According to the 1998 Department of Labor Statistics:

• Median annual earnings were $52,610.
• The middle 50 percent earned between $42,690 and $73,870.
• The lowest 10 percent earned less that $35,250 and the highest 10 percent earned more than 
  $87,010.

According to a 1999 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers:

• Bachelor’s degree candidates in industrial engineering received starting offers averaging 
  about $43,100 a year.
• Master’s degree candidates, $49,900.