Here is a list of how Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) stacks up against some of the other engineering majors when it comes to four important factors: job openings, growth rate, pay, and ease. Despite being a relatively unheard of major, it’s one of the best engineering majors out there. Especially if you’re willing to have a great salary with tons of employment opportunities. If you like statistics, applying what you learn, machining, finding ways to make processes better, like working with people rather than computers or objects, and love the word “efficiency,” then ISE is a major you should really consider.
Also, ISE is one the most AI-proof Engineering Major due to it’s focus on machining and interpersonal skills—unlike computer science, which seems to be the most at risk Engineering job from AI.
What’s the payscale comparison?
What’s the BLS comparison?
Comparison at a glance (using BLS data)
Industrial Engineering vs Mechanical Engineering:
Sources
Job openings: [IE wins]
Growth rate (BLS): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is growing 5x faster than MechE.
Pay (BLS): [Tie]
Industrial Engineering has the same pay as Mechanical Engineering per year.
Pay (Payscale): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering makes 7k more in mid career pay per year.
Ease: [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is 2 IQ points easier.
Industrial Engineering vs Civil Engineering:
Sources
Job openings (BLS): [IE wins]
Growth rate (BLS): [IE wins]
Pay (BLS): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineers make 7k more than Civil Engineers per year.
Pay (Payscale): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineers make 15k more than Civil Engineers in mid career pay per year.
Ease: [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is 1 IQ points easier.
Industrial Engineering vs Electrical Engineering:
Sources
Job openings (BLS): [IE wins]
Growth rate (BLS): [IE wins]
Pay (BLS): [IE loses]
Industrial Engineers make 6k less than Electrical Engineers per year.
Pay (Payscale): [IE loses]
Industrial Engineers make 3k less than Electrical Engineers in mid career pay per year.
Ease:[IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is 2 IQ points easier.
Industrial Engineering vs Chemical Engineering:
Sources
Job openings (BLS): [IE wins]
Growth rate (BLS): [IE wins]
Pay (BLS): [IE loses]
Industrial Engineers make 10k less than Chemical Engineers per year.
Pay (Payscale): [IE loses]
Industrial Engineers make 11k less than Chemical Engineers in mid career pay per year.
Ease: [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is 5 IQ points easier.
Industrial Engineering vs Biomedical Engineering:
Sources
Job openings (BLS): [IE wins]
Growth rate (BLS): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is growing as fast as BME.
Pay (BLS): [IE loses]
Industrial Engineers make 2k less than Biomedical Engineers per year.
Pay (Payscale): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineers make 1k more than Biomedical Engineers in mid career pay per year.
Ease: [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is 5 IQ points easier.
Industrial Engineering vs Physics:
Sources
Job openings (BLS): [IE wins]
Growth rate (BLS): [IE wins]
Pay (BLS): [IE loses]
Industrial Engineers make 52k less than Phd Physicists per year.
Pay (Payscale): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineers make 1k more than Bachelor Physicists in mid career pay per year.
Ease: [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is 10 IQ points easier.
Industrial Engineering vs Computer Science / Computer Programming:
Sources
Job openings (BLS): [IE loses] / [IE wins]
Growth rate (BLS): [IE loses] / [IE wins]
Pay (BLS): [IE loses] / [IE wins]
Industrial Engineers make 15k less than “Computer Scientists” do per year.
Industrial Engineers make 2k more than “Computer Programmers” do per year.
Pay (Payscale): [IE wins]
Industrial Engineers make 1k more than Computer Scientists do in mid career pay per year.
Ease: [IE wins]
Industrial Engineering is 1 IQ point easier.