Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Career, Salary and Skills
Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $102,440 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 365,740. Wage data is published for 403 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
17-2112.01
Job zone
5
Typical education
Master's Degree
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$102,440
Hourly median
$49.25
Employment
365,740
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Writing | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Active Learning | 3.75 | 4.25 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.62 | 4.38 |
| Mathematics | 3.50 | 4.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- AEMC DataView
- AJAX
- Altia Design
- Apple Safari
- Atlassian JIRA
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Bit Debris Solutions Usability Activity Log
- C++
Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in CAMedian $124,600 · Employment 32,680
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in MIMedian $101,680 · Employment 30,990
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in TXMedian $104,560 · Employment 30,980
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in OHMedian $100,060 · Employment 23,480
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in ILMedian $100,540 · Employment 18,640
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in MNMedian $102,660 · Employment 17,580
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in Detroit, MIMedian $104,110 · Employment 17,350
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in FLMedian $101,610 · Employment 14,050
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in Minneapolis, MNMedian $104,730 · Employment 13,970
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in PAMedian $99,560 · Employment 13,180
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in WIMedian $96,980 · Employment 13,070
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $101,760 · Employment 12,750
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.