Industrial Engineeringat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Graduates earn $74,787/yr in their first year — about 1.0% above the national Industrial Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,015K; scenarios range from $859K to $1,051K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at RPI
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Industrial Engineering program produces graduates earning $74,787/yr — within striking distance of the $73,874 national average for this field.
An earnings multiple of 4.1x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.
Some AI exposure exists in Industrial Engineering's typical career paths, with 43% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 18% gap from the optimistic case.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $22,500 in median debt clears quickly against $74,787 in annual earnings.
Ranked #64 of 93 Industrial Engineering programs, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $117,724 show a 57% jump from the $74,787 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.
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 RPI'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 RPI stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at RPI
Other highest-scoring programs offered at RPI, 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 RPI
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Industrial Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
This program scores 62/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Industrial Engineering programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.
Will AI replace Industrial Engineering careers?
With 43% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $859,286 in decade earnings vs $1,050,613 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.