Industrial Engineeringat Rochester Institute of Technology
Graduates earn $72,764/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Industrial Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $911K; scenarios range from $782K to $940K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at RIT
Graduates earn $72,764/yr, roughly in line with the $73,874 national median for Industrial Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
An earnings multiple of 4.0x 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 17% gap from the optimistic case.
With first-year pay of $72,764 far exceeding the $30,677 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #67 of 93 Industrial Engineering programs, Rochester Institute of Technology falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $72,764 to $105,893 over five years — a 46% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.
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 RIT'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 RIT stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at RIT
Other highest-scoring programs offered at RIT, 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 RIT
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Industrial Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology?
This program scores 61/100 — 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 $781,953 in decade earnings vs $940,035 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.