Industrial Engineeringat Northeastern University
Graduates earn $77,066/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Industrial Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $939K; scenarios range from $803K to $969K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Northeastern University
Northeastern's Industrial Engineering program benefits immensely from its renowned co-op model and prime Boston location. The extensive co-op placements embed you directly into top companies across diverse sectors—from biotech and healthcare to manufacturing and tech—giving you invaluable practical experience and a robust professional network long before graduation. This deep integration into the workforce explains why graduates are so well-prepared for roles in process optimization, supply chain management, and operational efficiency, often securing offers directly from their co-op employers. Boston's vibrant economy, rich with innovative firms, provides ample opportunity for these skills. Given the increasing impact of AI, focus your co-op experiences on roles that emphasize strategic thinking, human-machine collaboration, and complex system design, ensuring your skillset remains at the forefront of the evolving industrial landscape.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Northeastern University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Industrial Engineering
How Northeastern University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Northeastern University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Northeastern University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Industrial Engineering offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Industrial Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University
How does Northeastern University's Industrial Engineering program score?
A score of 61/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Northeastern University trails the majority of Industrial Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Industrial Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Industrial Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 43% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.