Industrial Engineers in California. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
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 $98,380 and $154,190, with a median of $124,600.
Industrial Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 2,000 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $140,900. 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 | 282 | $92,976 |
| Level II — qualified | 553 | $120,182 |
| Level III — experienced | 552 | $145,205 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 481 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla, Inc. | Sr Process Engineer | 328 | $146,275 |
| Apple Inc. | Manufacturing Quality | 213 | $166,962 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | Manufacturing Engineer | 39 | $145,400 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Production Engineer | 39 | $199,430 |
| Google LLC | Manufacturing Engineer | 36 | $194,000 |
| Lucid USA, Inc. | Sr. Supplier Industrialization Engineer | 36 | $137,082 |
| Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | Senior Engineer, Industrial Engineering | 36 | $114,182 |
| Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | Senior Engineer, Industrial Engineering | 30 | $117,458 |
| Applied Materials, Inc | Technical Project/Program Management Engineer | 25 | $156,004 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Hardware Development Engineer II | 21 | $162,700 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Supplier Quality Engineer, Electrical at Harbinger Motors Inc.$140,774Garden GroveWage Level IVDecided —I-200-26084-730240
- Hardware & Silicon Validation Staff Engineer at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc.$145,205Santa ClaraWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26084-730235
- Senior Engineer, Industrial Engineering at Sandisk Technologies, Inc.$95,139MilpitasWage Level IDecided —I-200-26084-729075
- Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Google LLC$196,000SunnyvaleWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26084-730401
- Operations Engineer Project Manager at Apple Inc.$170,248SunnyvaleWage Level IVDecided —I-200-26084-728044
- Senior Engineer, Industrial Engineering at Sandisk Technologies, Inc.$95,139FremontWage Level IDecided —I-200-26084-729076
- Systems Design/Architecture Engineer at Tesla, Inc.$140,000FremontWage Level IIDecided —I-200-26084-727841
- Sr Manufacturing Engineer at Tesla, Inc.$155,000FremontWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26084-727666
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.
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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 791 certified offers. The most common variant is Manufacturing Engineer at a median of $139,229.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 172 | $139,229 |
| Quality Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 104 | $120,687 |
| Senior Engineer, Industrial Engineering | Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | 98 | $117,458 |
| Industrial Engineer | Apple Inc. | 69 | $120,182 |
| Validation Engineer | Smartint Technologies, LLC | 69 | $113,900 |
| Process Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 66 | $119,403 |
| Supplier Industrialization Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 50 | $159,620 |
| Manager 2, Program Management | Sandisk Technologies, Inc. | 41 | $145,205 |
| Supplier Quality Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 36 | $124,908 |
| Product Designer | Meta Platforms, Inc | 31 | $165,000 |
| Test Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 28 | $141,450 |
| Manufacturing Quality | Apple Inc. | 27 | $166,962 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Industrial Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 1,990 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Manufacturing leads with a median of $143,313.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Tesla, Inc. | 1,365 | $143,313 |
| Technology and software | Meta Platforms, Inc | 298 | $139,209 |
| Professional services | BCVS | 232 | $120,411 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 61 | $145,500 |
| Finance and insurance | Coinbase, Inc. | 12 | $138,100 |
| Energy and utilities | MP Mine Operations LLC | 10 | $127,816 |
| Healthcare | iRhythm Technologies, Inc. | 5 | $142,064 |
| Transportation and logistics | United Parcel Service General Services, Co. | 5 | $95,520 |
| Real estate | Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. | 1 | $160,115 |
| Government and public sector | Planet Labs PBC | 1 | $194,900 |
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 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 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$136,950
- San Francisco$132,230
- San Diego$119,050
- Los Angeles$113,040
- Sacramento$110,190
- Riverside$101,700
Compare Industrial Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare California with another state
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 $124,600.
- How does California compare to the national median for Industrial Engineers?
- The California median is +18.7% versus the BLS national figure of $105,008.
- What is the salary range for Industrial Engineers in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $77,900 and the 90th-percentile at $172,870, 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.