Industrial Engineer
Industrial engineers determine the most effective ways for an organization to use its basic resources: people, machines, materials, money and time.
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Logistics Manager, Professional Engineer, Engineer
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
Starting | $36.19 |
---|---|
Overall | $44.63 |
Top | $53.32 |
Interest in synthesizing information to develop maintenance standards, schedules and programs, to develop flexible and integrated manufacturing systems and procedures, and to establish programs and conduct studies to enhance industrial health and safety, and identify and correct fire and other hazards
Interest in precision working to design, develop and conduct time studies and work simplification programs, and to study new machinery and facilities
Interest in supervising technicians, technologists, analysts, administrative staff and other engineers; and in recommending and selecting efficient combinations of new machinery and facilities
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
Industrial engineers design, improve and implement integrated systems of human beings, materials and equipment to produce needed results efficiently. For example, they may be involved with:
Industrial engineers apply knowledge and skills from social as well as physical disciplines (for example, mathematics, statistics, engineering, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology) to solve problems in a wide variety of industries (for example, education, agri-food, environment, distribution and transportation, health care, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing). They may specialize in facility layout and design, production planning, logistics systems design, ergonomics, manufacturing, project management or operations research.
Facility layout and design specialists:
To evaluate proposed sites, they investigate:
Production planning specialists:
Logistics systems specialists are concerned with:
Management and operations specialists plan work patterns, systems and procedures, and make recommendations regarding improvements. They:
For information about ergonomics, manufacturing engineering and operations research, see the Ergonomist, Manufacturing Engineer and Operations Research Analyst occupational profiles.
Because this engineering discipline is so varied in its applications, working conditions also vary. Some industrial engineers spend most of their working day observing production, asking questions and watching how work is done. Some work primarily in an office environment, writing specifications and meeting with other engineers and technologists. Others manage large projects.
Some overtime may be required to meet deadlines. Extended periods of travel may be required for international projects.
Industrial engineers need the following characteristics:
They should enjoy working on their own as well as with teams, making decisions, being creative and having variety in their work.
Undergraduate degree programs in industrial engineering are offered by:
For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
Professional engineers design, construct, evaluate, advise, monitor and report on the performance of materials, equipment, systems, works, processes and structures.
Under Alberta’s Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act [pdf], you must be a registered member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) to practice as a Professional Engineer or engage in the practice of engineering. You do not have to register if you work under the direct supervision of a professional engineer and do not call yourself a Professional Engineer or use the word “engineer” in your job title.
Registration as a Professional Engineer in Alberta requires successful completion of:
A new Provisional Member category has been introduced. For official, detailed information about registration requirements, contact APEGA.
Engineers who are registered and in good standing with a regulatory organization elsewhere in Canada are eligible for registration in Alberta if the 2 jurisdictions require similar responsibilities and competencies.
For more information, see What if I am already certified in another province or territory in Canada? and the APEGA website.
To learn about certification for internationally educated engineers, see Professional Engineer Registration Process.
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA)
1500 Scotia One, 10060 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4A2
Canada
Call: 780-426-3990
Toll-free in North America: 1-800-661-7020
Email: email@apega.ca
Website: www.apega.ca
Industrial engineers can use their skills in almost any type of organization and are more widely distributed among industries than other engineers. They may work for:
Industrial engineers are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 2141: Industrial and manufacturing engineers. In Alberta, 80% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Over 1,900 Albertans are employed in the Industrial and manufacturing engineers occupational group. This group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1.1% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 21 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As industrial engineers form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for industrial engineers.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
---|---|---|---|---|
Starting | $20.00 | $57.69 | $36.19 | $33.65 |
Overall | $25.50 | $72.12 | $44.63 | $42.22 |
Top | $31.00 | $92.31 | $53.32 | $48.08 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | $116,908 |
---|---|
Public Administration | $109,835 |
ALL INDUSTRIES | $92,324 |
Manufacturing | $79,654 |
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) website: www.apega.ca
Institute of Industrial Engineers Chapter 889 website: www.mie.utoronto.ca/csie
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Updated Apr 10, 2014. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.