How to Become a Time Study Engineer: Career Path Guide
Although there are other paths to take, a very effective route for becoming a time study engineer is to follow these general steps:
1. Excel at calculus, geometry, algebra and physics in high school
2. Determine if this occupation is suited to your interests, qualities and traits
3. Pursue a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering
4. Find an internship or co-op opportunity while you’re a student
5. Get an engineer-in-training job after graduation
6. Move into leadership roles as your career progresses
Below we've expanded on these points, to give you a more complete idea of what you'll need to begin a career as a time study engineer in the United States or Canada...starting with the education you'll need.
What Education Will I Need to Become a Time Study Engineer?
Employers typically hire candidates that have a degree in a relevant field, such as Industrial Engineering. A bachelor’s degree is often sufficient, but some employers may require a master’s degree, particularly for research or teaching positions.
How Can I Prepare for Time Study Engineering in High School?
Time study engineers need a comprehensive understanding of both math and science. Taking advanced coursework in areas such as math, physics, chemistry, trigonometry and calculus during your high school years is a great way to get a head start on becoming a reliability engineer.
What Does a Time Study Engineer Do?
Time study engineers are responsible for applying scientific and engineering principles to conduct time and motion studies, with the goal of creating and implementing programs that ensure efficient use of human resources in industrial or commercial production.
What Are the Job Duties of a Time Study Engineer?
Although their duties can vary from job to job, time study engineers are generally responsible for performing the following duties:
• Determining the time and motion requirements of job duties by observing and analyzing personnel and work procedures
• Establishing time and production standards by analyzing work study data and equipment specifications
• Determining the validity of work study statistics and sampling by applying mathematical analysis
• Applying principles of industrial engineering and applied psychology to evaluate work methods and work methods proposals
• Developing recommendations to management concerning work methods, wage rates and budgetary decisions
Will I Need Work Experience to Become a Time Study Engineer?
Most “engineer-in-training” roles (entry-level engineering jobs) don’t require any work experience above what you gain as part of your degree-based internship or co-op work placement. Mid and senior-level roles however, often require 3-5 years of experience working in lower level roles, with progressive amounts of responsibility in those roles.
Is a Career in Time Study Engineering Right for You?
To succeed as a time study engineer, and to find fulfillment in this career, you’ll need certain personal traits, and have certain professional interests and tolerances, including:
• You can observe and listen, to gain complete understanding of a problem
• You have a keen interest in finding the most efficient way of utilizing time and effort
• You have a keen interest in helping employers establish time and labour standards
• You can work well with others and develop good working relationships
• You’re willing to travel domestically and/or internationally to visit work sites
• You enjoy taking charge of situations and providing critical assessments and constructive advice
• You have an interest in developing and implementing quality programs
• You enjoy having clear guidelines and methods for your work
• You have the ability to interact in a shop floor environment with multiple customer stake holders
• You have the initiative to organize internal and customer meetings with follow-ups on action items etc.
• You have maturity and decorum, and are willing to abide by your employer’s code of conduct and values
How Much Do Time Study Engineers Make?
Salary in the United States: “Time Study Engineers” are part of the occupational group “Industrial Engineers”. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in this field earn a median salary of $83,470 per year.
Salary in Alberta: According to the 2015 wage and salary survey (Government of Alberta), Albertans working as part of the “Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers” occupational group (which includes “Time Study Engineers”) earn an average salary of $111,808 per year.
Please Note: The salary level you can earn in this occupation will vary, based on the following factors:
• Your level of education, experience and certification
• The level of responsibility involved in your job
• The size and type of your employer
• The region in which you work
• The industry in which you work
• The type of remuneration package you’re offered
• Many other factors
Who Creates Jobs for Time Study Engineers?
Time study engineers are typically employed by engineering solutions providers (including consulting firms) that work closely with major goods and equipment manufacturers and suppliers to solve engineering challenges related to product development, cost optimization, manufacturing and aftermarket.
Time Study Engineer Jobs
Our job board below has "Time Study Engineer" postings in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
What are Careers Similar to “Time Study Engineer”?
Listed below are careers that may be in the same field, or they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and/or responsibilities as “Time Study Engineer”:
What Scholarships Are Available for Becoming a Time Study Engineer?
The “Majors in Our Database Relevant for this Career” section below lists fields of study that are relevant to becoming a Time Study Engineer. You can search for relevant scholarships by finding those majors on our “Industrial Engineering Scholarships” page.
Success Tip: Take the time to apply for any scholarships that you qualify for, even if it's just barely, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Sources
Please consult the following resources to learn more about what it takes to become a time study engineer:
Occupational Profile: “Industrial Engineer.” (n.d.). Alberta Government - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
Occupational Outlook Handbook: “Industrial Engineers.” (n.d.). United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
Consulting & Contract Engineering: “Time Study & Methods Engineering.” (n.d.). Industrial Time Study Institute. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
Please Note: Some of the information for this career guide was obtained from online ‘Time Study Engineer’ job postings, which due to their brief nature aren’t listed here as sources.
Majors in Our Database Relevant for This Career Field
We have career guides for over 60 university majors in our database. Below we've outlined those that are most relevant to becoming a time study engineer. Click on the links to see what else you can do with these majors!
