AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 17-3026.00

Will AI replace Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians?

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians: AI can already handle 19 of 30 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 30 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians, from most to least exposed. 19 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Create or interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, formulas, or blueprints for management or engineering staff. 86 Observed Standard 3.0
Prepare layouts, drawings, or sketches of machinery or equipment, such as shop tooling, scale layouts, or new equipment design, using drafting equipment or computer-aided design (CAD) software. 85 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products. 80 Estimated Standard 3.7
Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications. 80 Estimated Standard 3.4
Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance. 80 Estimated Standard 3.4
Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications. 75 Estimated Standard 3.7
Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance. 75 Estimated Standard 3.0
Calibrate or adjust equipment to ensure quality production, using tools such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, protractors, or ring gauges. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Identify opportunities for improvements in quality, cost, or efficiency of automation equipment. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Monitor and adjust production processes or equipment for quality and productivity. 75 Estimated Standard 3.0
Oversee equipment start-up, characterization, qualification, or release. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Prepare production documents, such as standard operating procedures, manufacturing batch records, inventory reports, or productivity reports. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Select cleaning materials, tools, or equipment. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Select material quantities or processing methods needed to achieve efficient production. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Set up and operate production equipment in accordance with current good manufacturing practices and standard operating procedures. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Analyze, estimate, or report production costs. 74 Observed Standard 3.0
Recommend corrective or preventive actions to assure or improve product quality or reliability. 74 Observed Frontier 3.0
Evaluate industrial operations for compliance with permits or regulations related to the generation, storage, treatment, transportation, or disposal of hazardous materials or waste. 65 Estimated Standard 3.3
Assist engineers in developing, building, or testing prototypes or new products, processes, or procedures. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable and nonsustainable designs. 50 Estimated Standard 3.0
Coordinate equipment purchases, installations, or transfers. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Design plant layouts or production facilities. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Develop manufacturing infrastructure to integrate or deploy new manufacturing processes. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Develop or implement programs to address problems related to production, materials, safety, or quality. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Develop production, inventory, or quality assurance programs. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Develop sustainable manufacturing technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize raw material use, replace toxic materials with non-toxic materials, replace non-renewable materials with renewable materials, or reduce waste. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays. 40 Observed Standard 3.2
Provide advice or training to other technicians. 35 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Oversee or inspect production processes. 20 Estimated Standard 3.0

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 4 of 30 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 26 of 30. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
75,570
Median annual wage
$66,120
Middle half of earners
$55,760 to $80,280
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+1.7%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians and AI

Will AI replace Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians?

AI already handles 19 of the 30 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 65 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +1.7% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians?

65 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 4 of the 30 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 26 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Create or interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, formulas, or blueprints for management or engineering staff; Prepare layouts, drawings, or sketches of machinery or equipment, such as shop tooling, scale layouts, or new equipment design, using drafting equipment or computer-aided design (CAD) software; Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products. They are three of the 19 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians, and what do they earn?

75,570 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $66,120 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.7% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/industrial-engineering-technologists-and-technicians

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