How to Become a Industrial Engineer in South Carolina: Salary & Requirements (2026)
Quick answer: The median industrial engineer salary in South Carolina is $101,060 per year - 1% 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 South 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 South Carolina
The education path is national - ABET-accredited bachelor’s in industrial or manufacturing engineering - while licensing runs through the South Carolina state board of professional engineers: PE license optional; Six Sigma / lean certifications valued. Verify current requirements with the South Carolina state board of professional engineers before enrolling, as details change.
Industrial Engineer Salary in South Carolina
| Wage level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| South Carolina entry level (10th percentile) | $75,000 |
| South Carolina 25th-75th percentile | $82,460 - $123,490 |
| South Carolina median | $101,060 |
| South Carolina top earners (90th percentile) | $136,720 |
| U.S. median | $102,440 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. State employment: 7,960.
The South Carolina Job Market: Industrial Engineer
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Employed in South Carolina | 7,960 |
| Jobs per 1,000 in the state | 3.45 |
| Concentration vs U.S. (location quotient) | 1.47 |
| Mean annual wage in South Carolina | $104,740 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. With a location quotient of 1.47, South Carolina employs industrial engineers at a noticeably higher concentration than the national average: a strong local market for the credential.
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 South Carolina?
The median annual wage for industrial engineers in South Carolina is $101,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 1% below the national median of $102,440.
How to become a industrial engineer in South Carolina?
The core path is the same nationwide - ABET-accredited bachelor's in industrial or manufacturing engineering - with licensing through the South 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 South Carolina?
BLS counts about 7,960 industrial engineers employed in South Carolina (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Industrial Engineer in Nearby States
- Industrial Engineer in Pennsylvania
- Industrial Engineer in Rhode Island
- Industrial Engineer in South Dakota
- Industrial Engineer in Tennessee
Related
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112), South 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) |