Salary guide, May 2025
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250.
Also searched as: Six Sigma Black Belt. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,370 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 | $159,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.76 | $40.19 | $49.25 | $62.14 | $76.85 |
BLS estimated 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $103,740 | $81,810 to $129,150 | 3,360 | 0.51 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $100,670 | $78,520 to $123,830 | 2,090 | 0.61 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $104,920 | $85,800 to $127,450 | 2,040 | 0.61 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,030 | $83,240 to $130,220 | 1,710 | 0.98 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $105,640 | $93,020 to $132,830 | 10,680 | 1.12 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $101,760 | $82,260 to $126,580 | 12,750 | 1.2 |
Rank every metro for Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$127,140
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$105,450
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$105,380
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$105,370
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$102,830
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$102,390
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$101,920
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$101,150
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$99,070
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$99,030
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$98,870
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$97,790
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$96,770
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$94,390
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$93,170
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 248,860 | $82,290 | $101,160 | $126,660 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 55,900 | $85,080 | $102,390 | $127,250 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 41,320 | $86,770 | $105,370 | $133,290 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,010 | $81,650 | $99,070 | $121,540 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 25,680 | $98,350 | $107,170 | $131,930 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 23,290 | $93,530 | $105,450 | $130,730 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 22,640 | $77,900 | $93,170 | $104,250 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 20,060 | $88,940 | $108,110 | $140,790 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 18,550 | $82,840 | $101,920 | $128,760 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,200 | $81,880 | $98,830 | $120,590 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 17,250 | $79,550 | $96,890 | $106,770 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 16,880 | $91,760 | $104,840 | $130,890 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 15,540 | $85,110 | $102,810 | $129,190 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 14,900 | $79,420 | $96,770 | $107,790 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 12,400 | $78,950 | $97,790 | $110,760 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 11,950 | $79,330 | $96,620 | $106,940 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 11,710 | $92,180 | $104,110 | $129,470 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 11,340 | $78,320 | $94,370 | $104,900 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,150 | $97,950 | $118,700 | $136,120 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 8,140 | $95,070 | $106,340 | $128,140 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 6,910 | $79,730 | $99,030 | $117,390 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 6,260 | $84,130 | $102,830 | $126,540 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 5,560 | $85,060 | $101,150 | $129,380 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 5,400 | $79,760 | $98,920 | $119,880 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 5,360 | $76,350 | $90,070 | $104,100 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,990 | $77,510 | $92,670 | $103,570 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 4,970 | $78,360 | $98,200 | $108,050 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 4,570 | $95,870 | $103,340 | $128,710 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,390 | $65,840 | $79,040 | $99,530 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3,310 | $65,800 | $78,990 | $99,530 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 3,220 | $79,890 | $97,680 | $124,910 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 3,140 | $77,720 | $90,920 | $105,490 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 3,070 | $76,660 | $89,610 | $102,790 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,010 | $77,480 | $93,810 | $106,220 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 2,950 | $79,660 | $98,320 | $116,500 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,940 | $82,140 | $98,870 | $119,810 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 2,440 | $78,970 | $96,820 | $106,910 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 2,430 | $81,020 | $98,130 | $116,950 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 2,340 | $93,660 | $108,170 | $133,940 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,170 | $64,520 | $99,540 | $137,030 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,100 | $78,710 | $96,750 | $110,110 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 1,920 | $79,080 | $95,820 | $105,900 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,820 | $83,310 | $102,600 | $129,960 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 1,550 | $80,730 | $100,410 | $131,930 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 1,540 | $85,170 | $103,250 | $125,920 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,520 | $79,310 | $95,010 | $106,660 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,390 | $79,340 | $93,460 | $102,770 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,320 | $74,810 | $91,780 | $108,710 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 1,300 | $83,780 | $103,280 | $126,590 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,290 | $64,770 | $94,540 | $110,070 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 1,170 | $79,710 | $98,790 | $105,140 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 1,070 | $78,750 | $94,390 | $108,780 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 1,040 | $93,820 | $105,380 | $128,570 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 990 | $81,230 | $99,970 | $117,710 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 950 | $74,450 | $91,110 | $103,750 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 930 | $94,260 | $104,530 | $127,430 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 930 | $72,470 | $89,520 | $107,990 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 890 | $92,480 | $105,450 | $128,810 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 890 | $81,650 | $101,620 | $125,780 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 830 | $83,690 | $104,160 | $126,870 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 740 | $83,680 | $99,410 | $123,200 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 740 | $79,030 | $101,350 | $123,200 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 720 | $80,490 | $91,170 | $107,250 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 680 | $84,550 | $105,680 | $135,780 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 590 | $79,800 | $96,140 | $112,340 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 530 | $74,680 | $88,730 | $108,800 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 520 | $84,270 | $100,470 | $126,400 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 510 | $78,590 | $95,100 | $104,450 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 300 | $85,210 | $101,610 | $130,660 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 280 | $78,190 | $93,450 | $108,520 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 280 | $72,910 | $85,020 | $107,200 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 280 | $75,610 | $87,540 | $107,040 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 260 | $75,760 | $99,140 | $117,580 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 250 | $86,000 | $104,380 | $131,170 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 200 | $75,250 | $88,600 | $106,660 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 120 | $93,080 | $108,090 | $134,500 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 110 | $88,030 | $108,250 | $131,680 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 100 | $94,450 | $97,130 | $132,360 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 90 | $81,270 | $96,700 | $108,730 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 80 | $75,850 | $91,930 | $115,090 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 60 | $75,700 | $106,170 | $123,850 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 50 | $66,520 | $88,620 | $127,880 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 40 | $82,470 | $101,090 | $110,440 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | Not published by BLS | $48,570 | $59,630 | $84,280 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $81,910 | $101,140 | $127,480 |
| May 2025 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about statistics on a live line?
Statistical rigor on paper is easy. On a live line it means convincing a production lead to run a designed experiment, holding settings while data accumulates and accepting an inconvenient answer. We ask about a time the data contradicted the engineering view and how the candidate handled it.
We also ask about measurement systems, since a capable analyst checks the gauge before trusting the data. Candidates who can explain variation to an operator in plain words, and show the same result to an executive, are the ones who tend to get adoption and keep it after the project closes.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt?
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $74,370. 90% earned less than $159,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
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What does this data mean for your opening?
Lean Six Sigma Black Belts are classified under the SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers category, which holds a national median annual wage of $102,440. For Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $83,600 to $129,250 annually.
They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
National sector-specific data for industrial engineers confirms that some industries pay well above the broad median. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reports a median of $127,140. Chemical Manufacturing (specifically NAICS 3250A1) shows a median of $118,700. These rows illustrate that engineering-heavy manufacturing industries often have compensation structures that outperform the aggregate national baseline for industrial engineers.
Regional labor markets with high occupational employment offer additional context. The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area reports a median of $104,110 with a middle band width of $45,180. The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro shows a median of $104,730 with a middle band width of $39,440. These regions represent significant hubs for this type of engineering employment based on current data.
For Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Total national employment for this occupational group is 365,740. The location quotient for Detroit is 3.87, while Minneapolis is 3.04. These quotients track the employment concentration of the entire industrial engineering category, not specifically the concentration of Lean Six Sigma-certified professionals.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $102,440; the May 2024 median is $101,140. Their arithmetic difference is $1,300. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
How has the median salary for this group changed since May 2024?
For Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $102,440; the May 2024 median is $101,140. Their arithmetic difference is $1,300. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Are the petroleum manufacturing salary figures directly applicable to Lean Six Sigma Black Belts?
The petroleum manufacturing median of $127,140 is a sector-specific benchmark for all industrial engineers. While it provides useful context, it does not specifically report the compensation for only Black Belt certified individuals.
What is the limitation of the $45,650 middle band width?
The middle band width represents the spread between the 25th and 75th percentiles of the broader industrial engineering group. For Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $83,600 to $129,250 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
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