JobAfterNext

Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists

Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. Investigate and analyze characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of technology.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists separately. These are the figures for Industrial Engineers (17-2112), its parent occupation.

Median annual wage, U.S.$102,440
Employment, U.S.365,740
Median hourly wage$49.25
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$74,370$83,600$102,440$129,250$159,860
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama7,650$99,8801.54
Alaska220$156,5100.28
Arizona7,520$108,2800.99
Arkansas1,710$98,4100.56
California32,680$124,6000.76
Colorado5,200$109,7500.77
Connecticut6,020$104,1601.51
Delaware820$120,1900.72
District of Columbia160$103,3000.10
Florida14,050$101,6100.60
Georgia8,940$100,1000.78
Hawaii50$123,8000.04
Idaho1,330$100,8400.66
Illinois18,640$100,5401.30
Indiana11,680$97,4801.55
Iowa3,600$97,6900.98
Kansas3,450$99,8301.02
Kentucky6,070$96,8201.29
Louisiana1,710$122,9200.38
Maine1,030$101,0300.68
Maryland3,900$119,9300.60
Massachusetts11,470$109,4201.34
Michigan30,990$101,6802.99
Minnesota17,580$102,6602.53
Mississippi2,450$95,8300.90
Missouri5,070$99,2900.73
Montana390$104,4300.33
Nebraska1,160$98,1700.48
Nevada1,570$102,0900.43
New Hampshire1,940$101,3101.21
New Jersey6,870$103,8400.68
New Mexico1,140$128,0900.56
New York11,810$102,6400.52
North Carolina11,580$99,3101.00
North Dakota600$96,9400.59
Ohio23,480$100,0601.80
Oklahoma2,170$97,5100.54
Oregon5,810$128,2901.26
Pennsylvania13,180$99,5600.92
Rhode Island990$109,3500.84
South Carolina7,960$101,0601.47
South Dakota830$93,2000.77
Tennessee7,440$99,0800.96
Texas30,980$104,5600.94
Utah5,520$103,9401.35
Vermont440$103,0100.62
Virginia5,580$102,5500.58
Washington6,130$129,0500.73
West Virginia850$108,3600.51
Wisconsin13,070$96,9801.89
Wyoming240$122,0700.36

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Health Informatics Specialists50.960
2Logistics Engineers40.956
3Validation Engineers40.955
4Sustainability Specialists40.952
5Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers40.950
6Industrial Ecologists50.950
7Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers40.949
8Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians30.948
9Architectural and Engineering Managers50.947
10Occupational Health and Safety Specialists40.946

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansOperations Monitoring1.000.948
Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsOperations Monitoring1.380.946
Automotive EngineersMathematics0.880.938
Architects, Except Landscape and NavalCoordination1.130.936
Water/Wastewater EngineersTime Management0.760.934
Energy Engineers, Except Wind and SolarScience1.240.933
Operations Research AnalystsMathematics0.880.932
Clinical Data ManagersProgramming1.240.932
Database ArchitectsProgramming1.740.932
Soil and Plant ScientistsScience1.500.931

All 14

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists, excluding software Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Microsoft Project17 of 203.9x
Minitab10 of 206.6x
Verilog7 of 2013.5x
PTC Creo Parametric8 of 208.6x
Bentley MicroStation8 of 207.7x
SAP software16 of 202.6x
Microsoft SharePoint12 of 203.3x
Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software4 of 2036.9x
UNIX9 of 204.7x
Microsoft Visual Studio7 of 207.0x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.75
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.38
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.00 4.38
SpeakingEssential skill 4.00 4.38
WritingEssential skill 4.00 4.38
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 4.00 4.00
Active LearningEssential skill 3.75 4.25
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.62 4.38
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.62 4.00
MathematicsEssential skill 3.50 4.00
MonitoringEssential skill 3.50 4.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.38 3.50
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.25 3.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.25 3.88
ScienceEssential skill 3.25 3.38
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.25 3.25
Technology DesignTransferable skill 3.12 3.88
InstructingTransferable skill 3.12 3.75
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.62 3.00
ProgrammingTransferable skill 2.25 2.38
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.25 2.12
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 1.75
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.88 1.75
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.75 1.38
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Psychology 4.16 4.74
English Language 4.00 4.32
Design 3.85 4.80
Engineering and Technology 3.80 4.85
Education and Training 3.65 5.60
Mathematics 3.55 4.35
Customer and Personal Service 3.45 4.00
Sociology and Anthropology 3.05 3.95
Production and Processing 3.00 4.15
Administration and Management 3.00 4.00
Computers and Electronics 3.00 4.00
Physics 2.80 3.35
Public Safety and Security 2.68 3.15
Biology 2.65 3.15
Mechanical 2.65 3.10
Communications and Media 2.65 2.85
Personnel and Human Resources 2.50 3.40
Sales and Marketing 2.50 3.30
Medicine and Dentistry 2.45 2.50
Administrative 2.30 3.05
Law and Government 2.30 2.80
Transportation 2.25 2.55
Economics and Accounting 2.20 2.20
Therapy and Counseling 2.10 2.20
Telecommunications 2.10 1.50
Chemistry 2.05 2.30
Building and Construction 1.75 1.75
Foreign Language 1.70 1.40
Geography 1.60 1.40
Philosophy and Theology 1.60 1.15
History and Archeology 1.55 1.00
Food Production 1.37not rated
Fine Arts 1.30not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Expression 4.00 5.00
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.88
Written Comprehension 4.00 4.88
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 4.75
Written Expression 4.00 4.62
Inductive Reasoning 4.00 4.50
Fluency of Ideas 3.88 4.25
Information Ordering 3.88 4.25
Problem Sensitivity 3.88 4.12
Category Flexibility 3.75 4.00
Originality 3.62 3.88
Speech Clarity 3.62 3.62
Mathematical Reasoning 3.50 3.88
Near Vision 3.50 3.75
Speech Recognition 3.38 3.62
Visualization 3.25 3.88
Number Facility 3.25 3.75
Far Vision 3.12 3.12
Flexibility of Closure 3.00 3.00
Perceptual Speed 3.00 3.00
Speed of Closure 3.00 3.00
Selective Attention 2.88 2.88
Memorization 2.75 3.00
Visual Color Discrimination 2.25 2.25
Time Sharing 2.25 2.12
Auditory Attention 2.12 1.75
Depth Perception 1.88 1.62
Trunk Strength 1.75 1.25
Hearing Sensitivity 1.75 1.12
Spatial Orientation 1.75 0.88
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.62 0.62
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.38 0.38
Dynamic Strength 1.38 0.38
Explosive Strength 1.38 0.38
Extent Flexibility 1.38 0.38
Stamina 1.38 0.38
Static Strength 1.38 0.38
Finger Dexterity 1.25not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.25not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.25not rated
Multilimb Coordination 1.25not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.12not rated
Night Vision 1.12not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.12not rated
Control Precision 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Manual Dexterity 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 62
  • The MathWorks MATLAB hot
  • jQuery hot
  • AEMC DataView
  • Adobe Dreamweaver
  • Altia Design
  • Bit Debris Solutions Usability Activity Log
  • Dartfish ProSuite
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Data Translation quickDAQ
  • Debugging software
  • Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML
  • Graphical user interface GUI design software
  • Mangold INTERACT
  • Mangold LogSquare
  • Mangold Soundalyzer
  • MathWorks Simulink
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • Noldus Information Technology FaceReader
  • Noldus Information Technology The Observer XT
  • Noldus Information Technology uLog Pro
  • Ovo Studios Ovo Logger
  • Regression testing software
  • Seeing Machines faceLAB
  • Simulation software
  • Statistical software
  • TechSmith Camtasia
  • TechSmith Morae
  • Thought Technology BioGraph Infiniti
  • Triangle Research Collaborative Observational Coding System OCS Tools
  • Usability testing software
  • User interface design software

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists separately. These are the figures for Industrial Engineers (17-2112), its parent occupation.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Columbus, IN9107.76$97,480
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI1,2404.34$97,250
Sheboygan, WI5603.95$94,170
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI17,3503.87$104,110
Peoria, IL1,5003.85$117,180
Decatur, AL5303.65$106,230
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL2,0303.52$101,610
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI5603.12$86,000
Fond du Lac, WI3203.07$98,410
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI6703.06$97,180

More metros, other thresholds