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Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Overview
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $57K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $71K
Median Salary: $88K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $111K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $136K
Demand
Core Tasks
Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.
Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols.
Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions.
Prepare reports or presentations summarizing results or conclusions of human factors engineering or ergonomics activities, such as testing, investigation, or validation.
Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.
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.
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.
Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.
Integrate human factors requirements into operational hardware.
Write, review, or comment on documents, such as proposals, test plans, or procedures.
Train users in task techniques or ergonomic principles.
Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.
Develop or implement research methodologies or statistical analysis plans to test and evaluate developmental prototypes used in new products or processes, such as cockpit designs, user workstations, or computerized human models.
Assess the user-interface or usability characteristics of products.
Review health, safety, accident, or worker compensation records to evaluate safety program effectiveness or to identify jobs with high incidence of injury.
Conduct research to evaluate potential solutions related to changes in equipment design, procedures, manpower, personnel, or training.
Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation.
Estimate time or resource requirements for ergonomic or human factors research or development projects.
Investigate theoretical or conceptual issues, such as the human design considerations of lunar landers or habitats.
Apply modeling or quantitative analysis to forecast events, such as human decisions or behaviors, the structure or processes of organizations, or the attitudes or actions of human groups.
Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, thermoanemometers, sling psychrometers, or colorimetric detection tubes.
Provide human factors technical expertise on topics, such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems.
Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems.
Perform statistical analyses, such as social network pattern analysis, network modeling, discrete event simulation, agent-based modeling, statistical natural language processing, computational sociology, mathematical optimization, or systems dynamics.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Engineering and Technology
78%
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Psychology
77%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
English Language
76%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Design
68%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Education and Training
68%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service
66%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mathematics
66%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Clerical
59%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Computers and Electronics
59%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management
58%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Top 10 Skills
Complex Problem Solving
80%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
80%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing
78%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision Making
75%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning
70%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Systems Evaluation
70%
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Monitoring
68%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Top 10 Abilities
Deductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information Ordering
75%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Problem Sensitivity
75%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Speech Clarity
73%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
90%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
86%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Interacting With Computers
86%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Analyzing Data or Information
85%
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
85%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
85%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others
83%
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
81%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
81%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Thinking Creatively
80%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Detailed Work Activities
Prepare proposal documents.
Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
Investigate safety of work environment.
Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
Research human performance or health factors related to engineering or design activities.
Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
Estimate time requirements for development or production projects.
Advise others on health and safety issues.
Document design or operational test results.
Create models of engineering designs or methods.
Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
Determine operational criteria or specifications.
Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
Devise research or testing protocols.
Prepare procedural documents.
Assess product or process usefulness.
Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
Develop technical methods or processes.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Education
Majors based on the broader career Industrial Engineers
Major
Interests
Investigative
86%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic
77%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
43%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising
43%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social
39%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic
34%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Dependability
91%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Analytical Thinking
90%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Integrity
89%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail
88%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
85%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Adaptability/Flexibility
84%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative
82%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence
82%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Concern for Others
80%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Stress Tolerance
80%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Work Values
Achievement
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Relationships
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
