Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Train users in task techniques or ergonomic principles.
• Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems.
• Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.
• 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.
• 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.
• Assess the user-interface or usability characteristics of products.
• Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.
• Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement.
• Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.
• Investigate theoretical or conceptual issues, such as the human design considerations of lunar landers or habitats.
• Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.
• Write, review, or comment on documents, such as proposals, test plans, or procedures.
• Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, thermoanemometers, sling psychrometers, or colorimetric detection tubes.
• 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.
• Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation.
• Conduct research to evaluate potential solutions related to changes in equipment design, procedures, manpower, personnel, or training.
• Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols.
• 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.
• Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.
• 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.
• Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.
• 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.
• Estimate time or resource requirements for ergonomic or human factors research or development projects.
• Review health, safety, accident, or worker compensation records to evaluate safety program effectiveness or to identify jobs with high incidence of injury.
• Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces.
• Estimate time or resource requirements for ergonomic or human factors research or development projects.
• Integrate human factors requirements into operational hardware.

Skills

• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

Abilities

• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Knowledge

• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Administration and Management
  • 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.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Engineering and Technology
  • 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.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • 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.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Psychology
  • 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.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Gonzaga University
  E 502 Boone Ave, Spokane WA 99258-0001
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 800-986-9585
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.gonzaga.edu/
  Program Name
  Industrial Engineering
  Length
  Less than one year
  Award Level
  Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Engineering/Industrial Management
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Saint Martin's University
  5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey WA 98503-7500
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-491-4700
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.stmartin.edu/
  Program Name
  Engineering/Industrial Management
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle University
  900 Broadway, Seattle WA 98122-4340
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-296-6000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.seattleu.edu/
  Program Name
  Systems Engineering
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Industrial Engineering
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
  Save
  Program Name
  Systems Engineering
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Manufacturing Engineering
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Engineering/Industrial Management
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Postbaccalaureate certificate
  Save

  ---

• Western Washington University
  516 High Street, Bellingham WA 98225-9008
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 360-650-3000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://wwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Manufacturing Engineering
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

119670/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

57.53/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

6,480

Yearly Projected Openings

500

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

• Innovation
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Achievement Orientation
• Adaptability

Tools

• Air velocity and temperature monitors
• Aircraft flight simulators or trainers
• Cardiac output CO monitoring units
• Colorimeters
• Compression testers
• Desktop computers
• Digital camcorders or video cameras
• Digital voice recorders
• Distance meters
• Dynamometers
• Electrocardiography EKG units
• Electroencephalograph EEGs
• Electromyography EMG units
• Electronic blood pressure units
• Flowmeters
• Goniometers or arthrometers
• Heat stress monitors
• Laser printers
• Lux or light meter
• Mercury blood pressure units
• Microphones
• Multimedia projectors
• Notebook computers
• Oxygen gas analyzers
• Personal computers
• Physiological recorders
• Psychrometers
• Skinfold calipers
• Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter
• Tablet computers
• Thickness measuring devices
• Touch pads
• Touch screen monitors
• Treadmills

Technology

• Analytical or scientific software
• Computer aided design CAD software
• Content workflow software
• Desktop publishing software
• Development environment software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise application integration software
• Graphical user interface development software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Internet browser software
• Object or component oriented development software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Process mapping and design software
• Program testing software
• Spreadsheet software
• Video creation and editing software
• Web page creation and editing software
• Web platform development software
• Word processing software