Salary distribution
Where California industrial engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $97,460 and $151,750, with a median of $123,070.
Industrial Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 1,000 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $142,293. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 121 | $92,976 |
| Level II — qualified | 172 | $120,000 |
| Level III — experienced | 179 | $145,205 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 191 | $170,248 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Industrial Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Inc. | Manufacturing Quality | 120 | $170,248 |
| Tesla, Inc. | Supplier Industrialization Engineer | 101 | $154,000 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | Senior Manufacturing Engineer | 22 | $162,101 |
| Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | Senior Engineer, Industrial Engineering | 22 | $103,579 |
| Lucid USA, Inc. | Sr. Manufacturing Engineer | 19 | $155,750 |
| Google LLC | Program Manager | 19 | $200,000 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Hardware Development Engineer II | 14 | $156,350 |
| CEPHEID | Sr. Automation Development Engineer | 14 | $128,064 |
| ASML US, LP | System Integration and Test Engineer 3 | 13 | $123,250 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Product Quality Engineer | 13 | $202,014 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- System Industrialization Engineer 3 at ASML US, LP$120,182San JoseDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25355-500355
- SR. PROCESS DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER at ABBOTT CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.$130,000Santa ClaraDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-498322
- Test Engineer - Infotainment Systems at Dako Resources, LLC$147,514BelmontDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-495711
- Technical Business Developer III at Amazon.com Services LLC$162,700San FranciscoDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-492972
- Senior Application Engineer at Rohde & Schwarz USA, Inc.$185,578MilpitasDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-494878
- Senior Validation Engineer I at KITE PHARMA INC.$140,774Santa MonicaDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-493856
- Sr Manufacturing Engineer at Tesla, Inc.$180,000FremontDecided Dec 24, 2025I-200-25351-489697
- Technical Program Management at Apple Inc.$143,768CupertinoDecided Dec 24, 2025I-200-25351-489594
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Industrial Engineers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Industrial Engineers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 377 certified offers. The most common variant is Manufacturing Engineer at a median of $140,254.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 78 | $140,254 |
| Quality Engineer | Covidien LP | 51 | $124,621 |
| Senior Engineer, Industrial Engineering | Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | 44 | $110,000 |
| Validation Engineer | INTELLECTT, INC. | 34 | $112,809 |
| Industrial Engineer | Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. | 34 | $121,014 |
| Manager 2, Program Management | Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | 28 | $145,205 |
| Process Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 25 | $120,305 |
| Supplier Quality Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 22 | $123,486 |
| Supplier Industrialization Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 21 | $162,238 |
| Manufacturing Quality | Apple Inc. | 14 | $166,962 |
| Reliability Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 13 | $165,000 |
| Program Manager | Google LLC | 13 | $200,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Industrial Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 992 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Manufacturing leads with a median of $145,205.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Apple Inc. | 660 | $145,205 |
| Technology and software | Google LLC | 150 | $131,955 |
| Professional services | BCVS | 131 | $121,846 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 37 | $150,000 |
| Energy and utilities | TotalEnergies Renewables USA, LLC | 5 | $123,632 |
| Finance and insurance | FlyHomes, Inc. | 3 | $132,808 |
| Transportation and logistics | United Parcel Service General Services, Co. | 3 | $95,520 |
| Healthcare | UCSF MEDICAL CENTER | 2 | $197,361 |
| Real estate | Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. | 1 | $160,115 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.4 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Production and Processing
Knowledge
- 4.2 / 5
Mechanical
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- 02
Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- 03
Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
- 04
Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
- 05
Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- 06
Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
- 07
Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, material, and utilities.
- 08
Record or oversee recording of information to ensure currency of engineering drawings and documentation of production problems.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+11.0%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing much faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for industrial engineers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$136,290
- San Francisco$133,790
- San Diego$114,400
- Sacramento$109,860
- Los Angeles$108,300
- Riverside$103,330
Compare Industrial Engineers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Industrial Engineers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in California is $123,070.
- How does California compare to the national median for Industrial Engineers?
- The California median is +19.2% versus the BLS national figure of $103,221.
- What is the salary range for Industrial Engineers in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $78,540 and the 90th-percentile at $177,300, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Industrial Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 11.0% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Industrial Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.