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.
Also called: Board Certified Ergonomist · Certified Professional Ergonomist · Cognitive Engineer · Engineer · Ergonomic Consultant · Ergonomics Technical Advisor
Median pay (national)
$101,140
$70,000–$157,140 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
350,230
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+11%
~25,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for human factors engineers and ergonomists shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $157,140 versus $70,000 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $101,140 leaves roughly 55% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +11% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 25,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 52 states with released data, Alaska pays the most for this role (median $142,980, +41% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $80,120 — a 78% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Monitoring
- Science
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.
- Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces.
- Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.
- Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.
- Prepare reports or presentations summarizing results or conclusions of human factors engineering or ergonomics activities, such as testing, investigation, or validation.
- Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions.
- Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement.
- Provide technical support to clients through activities, such as rearranging workplace fixtures to reduce physical hazards or discomfort or modifying task sequences to reduce cycle time.
- Assess the user-interface or usability characteristics of products.
- Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- AJAX
- Apple Safari
- Atlassian JIRA
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- C++
- Cascading style sheets CSS
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
- Extensible markup language XML
- Hypertext markup language HTML
Knowledge areas
- Psychology
- English Language
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sociology and Anthropology