Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• 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.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Master's Degree

Related Careers

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists.

A Day in the Life

A typical day for a human factors engineer begins with reviewing research data or analyzing user testing results from recent product evaluations. They may conduct observational studies in workplaces, watching how employees interact with tools, equipment, or software to identify ergonomic risks. Designing and running usability tests is a core activity, involving recruiting test participants, setting up scenarios, and recording interactions for analysis. Meetings with cross-functional teams including product designers, mechanical engineers, and safety managers are frequent to integrate human factors insights into design decisions. They create detailed reports with recommendations for design modifications, supported by statistical analysis and evidence-based guidelines. Afternoon work might involve using computer-aided design tools or human modeling software to simulate body postures and reach envelopes. Reviewing industry standards from organizations like ANSI or ISO ensures compliance with established ergonomic guidelines. The day often ends with documenting findings and preparing presentations for stakeholders who need to understand the business case for human-centered design changes.

Work Environment

Human factors engineers work in varied environments depending on their industry and specialization. Office and laboratory settings are common for research, data analysis, and usability testing activities. Field work takes them into manufacturing plants, hospitals, military installations, and construction sites to conduct in-situ observations and assessments. The work is primarily sedentary when analyzing data or writing reports, but active during field studies and physical ergonomic assessments. Collaboration is constant, as the nature of the field requires working closely with engineers, designers, physicians, and management across organizational boundaries. Most positions offer standard business hours, though project deadlines and field studies may occasionally require extended or flexible schedules. Travel requirements vary from minimal for lab-focused roles to significant for consultants serving multiple client sites. The intellectual environment is stimulating, blending quantitative analysis with creative problem-solving to improve how humans interact with the designed world.

Career Path & Advancement

Most human factors engineers hold at least a master's degree in human factors engineering, ergonomics, industrial engineering, or a related field like cognitive psychology. A bachelor's degree in engineering, psychology, or kinesiology provides the foundation, but graduate education is typically required for professional roles. Doctoral degrees are common among those pursuing research-intensive positions or academic careers. Early career professionals often start as junior human factors engineers or research associates, conducting user studies and supporting senior engineers. Mid-career advancement leads to senior engineer, project lead, or program manager roles with greater influence over product design decisions. Board certification as a Certified Professional Ergonomist through the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics enhances credibility and career prospects. Some professionals specialize and become recognized experts in areas like automotive human factors, medical device usability, or aviation human factors. Senior career paths include director of user experience, chief ergonomics officer, or independent consulting practice leadership.

Specializations

The field encompasses several distinct specialization areas reflecting the breadth of human-system interaction challenges. Cognitive ergonomics focuses on mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, and decision-making as they affect human-system interaction. Physical ergonomics addresses biomechanical aspects including workplace layout, tool design, repetitive motion analysis, and musculoskeletal disorder prevention. Organizational ergonomics examines communication, teamwork, work scheduling, and management systems that influence worker performance and satisfaction. Automotive human factors engineers design vehicle interfaces, instrument clusters, and advanced driver assistance systems for safety and usability. Aviation and aerospace human factors specialists work on cockpit design, air traffic control interfaces, and astronaut workstation optimization. Medical device human factors has grown rapidly, driven by FDA requirements for usability testing of medical products before market approval. Digital user experience represents a growing specialization where human factors principles are applied to software interface design, virtual reality environments, and AI interaction patterns.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

The demand for human factors expertise is growing as organizations recognize the competitive advantage of human-centered design in products and systems. Artificial intelligence and automation are creating new challenges in human-machine teaming, where engineers must design systems that effectively share tasks between humans and intelligent machines. The medical device industry continues to expand its human factors requirements, driven by regulatory mandates and a growing focus on patient safety. Autonomous vehicle development has created substantial demand for human factors engineers who can design effective driver monitoring and handoff systems. Remote work trends have generated interest in home office ergonomics and virtual collaboration tool usability. The aging global population is driving demand for age-inclusive design in consumer products, healthcare interfaces, and built environments. Virtual and augmented reality technologies present new frontiers for human factors research in immersive user experience optimization. Overall employment growth for this field is projected above average, with particularly strong demand in technology, healthcare, and defense sectors.