Engineering professionals (excluding electrical, electronics and telecommunications)

How to become an industrial and production engineer

Official title: Industrial and production engineers

Also called: Industrial efficiency engineer, Industrial engineer, Industrial plant engineer, Production engineer

Industrial and production engineers conduct research and design, organize and oversee the construction, operation and maintenance of industrial production processes and installations. They establish programmes for the coordination of manufacturing activities and assess cost effectiveness and safety.

Main tasks

Studying functional statements, organizational charts and project information to determine functions and responsibilities of workers and work units and to identify areas of duplication
Establishing work measurement programmes and analysing work samples to develop standards for labour utilization
Analysing workforce utilization, facility layout, operational data and production schedules and costs to determine optimum worker and equipment efficiencies
Developing specifications for manufacture, and determining materials, equipment, piping, material flows, capacities and layout of plant and systems
Organizing and managing project labour and the delivery of materials, plant and equipment
Establishing standards and policies for installation, modification, quality control, testing, inspection and maintenance according to engineering principles and safety regulations
Inspecting plant to improve and maintain performance
Directing the maintenance of plant buildings and equipment, and coordinating the requirements for new designs, surveys and maintenance schedules
Advising management on new production methods, techniques and equipment
Liaising with materials buying, storing and controlling departments to ensure a steady flow of supplies

Ways in

University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 14 universities in Hong Kong
Licence or registration: Registering body: Engineers Registration Board. Law: Engineers Registration Ordinance (工程師註冊條例), Cap. 409. Summary by Peernovo; check the body's current rules.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: HK$48,000 a month
About 1,542,900 people in 2025, and about 1,639,100 projected by 2028. (+6.2%)
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Questions people ask

How do I become an industrial and production engineer?

Ways in include: Engineering degrees.

Do you need a degree to become an industrial and production engineer?

Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an industrial and production engineer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Census and Statistics Department (2021 Population Census): 2021 Population Census, Interactive Data Dissemination Service: working population by occupation (38 groups) and sex, age, education, income; median income and field of education (9 groups) (2021 Population Census), retrieved 4 October 2026
Census and Statistics Department (General Household Survey): Median monthly employment earnings by occupation (9 groups), excluding foreign domestic helpers (Table 210-06317A); employed persons by occupation, age and sex (210-06307A) and by industry (210-06308A) (2025 annual (series to 2026-07)), retrieved 4 October 2026
Labour and Welfare Bureau; tables published by C&SD: Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection to 2028: supplementary statistical tables (5 occupation groups, 17 selected industries) (2025 to 2028 (published 2026-09)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026