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Engineering · Industrial Engineering Rank #50 of 93

Industrial Engineeringat University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Graduates earn $76,707/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Industrial Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $869K; scenarios range from $750K to $895K depending on AI disruption.

Pittsburgh, PA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
68 SOLID
69
Optimistic
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$76,707
1-year post-graduation
ROI
10.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$869K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Pittsburgh

Graduates earn $76,707/yr, roughly in line with the $73,874 national median for Industrial Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 10.1x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 43% task exposure — and the 16% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $76,707 far exceeding the $24,375 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #50 out of 93 programs, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus's financial outcomes for Industrial Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $76,707 to $102,365 shows 33% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$750K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple8.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$869K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple10.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$895K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple10.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Pittsburgh's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Industrial Engineering graduates typically work

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.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Industrial production managers
+1.9% 10-yr growth · 17,100 openings/yr
$121,440/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Industrial engineers
+11.0% 10-yr growth · 25,200 openings/yr
$101,140/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Industrial Engineering

How University of Pittsburgh stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
SUNY Maritime College
NY · Public
78
DW Score
$91K
1-yr earn
35.1x
ROI
Northwestern University
IL · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
4.2x
ROI
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
77
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
24.2x
ROI
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
4.0x
ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
77
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
26.3x
ROI
Also at University of Pittsburgh

Other top programs at University of Pittsburgh

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Pittsburgh, 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 →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Industrial Engineering at University of Pittsburgh

How does University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus's Industrial Engineering program score?

A score of 68/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus 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.