How to Become a Industrial Engineer in North Carolina: Salary & Requirements (2026)
Quick answer: The median industrial engineer salary in North Carolina is $99,310 per year - 3% below the national median of $102,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The career requires a 4-year degree: ABET-accredited bachelor’s in industrial or manufacturing engineering.
How to Become a Industrial Engineer in North Carolina
1. Earn a bachelor’s degree
Industrial, manufacturing, or systems engineering - ABET accreditation preferred.
2. Learn the improvement toolkit
Lean, Six Sigma, time studies, and simulation software are the daily tools.
3. Start in process or quality engineering
Manufacturers hire IEs at the bachelor’s level into process, quality, and continuous-improvement roles.
4. Stack certifications
Six Sigma Green/Black Belt and lean credentials accelerate advancement.
5. Advance
Senior IE, operations manager, or plant management.
Requirements in North Carolina
The education path is national - ABET-accredited bachelor’s in industrial or manufacturing engineering - while licensing runs through the North Carolina state board of professional engineers: PE license optional; Six Sigma / lean certifications valued. Verify current requirements with the North Carolina state board of professional engineers before enrolling, as details change.
Industrial Engineer Salary in North Carolina
| Wage level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| North Carolina entry level (10th percentile) | $68,930 |
| North Carolina 25th-75th percentile | $81,190 - $121,090 |
| North Carolina median | $99,310 |
| North Carolina top earners (90th percentile) | $139,110 |
| U.S. median | $102,440 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. State employment: 11,580.
The North Carolina Job Market: Industrial Engineer
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Employed in North Carolina | 11,580 |
| Jobs per 1,000 in the state | 2.34 |
| Concentration vs U.S. (location quotient) | 1.00 |
| Mean annual wage in North Carolina | $102,890 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. With a location quotient of 1.00, North Carolina’s demand for industrial engineers tracks close to the national average.
Salary Nationwide
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $74,370 |
| 25th | $83,600 |
| 50th (median) | $102,440 |
| 75th | $129,250 |
| 90th | $159,860 |
Job Outlook
| Year | Employment |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 351,100 |
| 2034 projected | 389,600 |
| Percent change | +11.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a industrial engineer make in North Carolina?
The median annual wage for industrial engineers in North Carolina is $99,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 3% below the national median of $102,440.
How to become a industrial engineer in North Carolina?
The core path is the same nationwide - ABET-accredited bachelor's in industrial or manufacturing engineering - with licensing through the North Carolina state board of professional engineers: PE license optional; Six Sigma / lean certifications valued. See the steps on this page.
How many industrial engineers work in North Carolina?
BLS counts about 11,580 industrial engineers employed in North Carolina (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Industrial Engineer in Nearby States
- Industrial Engineer in New Mexico
- Industrial Engineer in New York
- Industrial Engineer in North Dakota
- Industrial Engineer in Ohio
Related
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112), North Carolina and national
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
Data sources
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
| O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones) | U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.) | O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13) |