【Objective】With the improvement of industrialization, the discharge of industrial wastewater containing heavy metals (such as arsenic, copper, chromium, cadmium, nickel, zinc, lead, mercury and manganese) is gradually increasing. Due to its non-biodegradability and long half-life, heavy metals in wastewater cause serious pollution in groundwater, surface water, soil and crops, seriously endangering the health of human beings, animals and plants. Therefore, it is necessary to remove these toxic heavy metals from industrial wastewater.【Methods】Based on the current status of heavy metal pollution in industrial wastewater, the current status and progress of heavy metal treatment in industrial wastewater are analyzed by comprehensively considering removal efficiency, treatment cost, sludge output, recyclability and other factors.【Results】This paper presents the research of main technologies on heavy metals removal from industrial wastewater. The internal mechanism, influencing factors (pH, temperature and heavy metal concentration) and their advantages and disadvantages of each technology are summarized, and the development trend of heavy metal removal technology in industrial wastewater is prospected in order to provide meaningful reference for the comprehensive treatment of industrial wastewater containing heavy metals.【Conclusions】Various heavy metal removal technologies have broad prospects on heavy metal treatment, coming with some drawbacks. Conventional physical and chemical methods have problems such as high sludge production, low removal efficiency and high energy consumption, while biological methods have strong dependence on pH and temperature, and high demand for energy and maintenance. Combined process is a feasible method to improve the removal efficiency of heavy metals. Research and development of new natural adsorbents, membrane technology and biotechnology, and strengthening the comprehensive application of various technologies are effective ways to removing heavy metal from industrial wastewater.