<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-15</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000927003</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ADVANCED ENERGY INDUSTRIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AEIS</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001007705</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SCHATZ DOUGLAS S</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1625 SHARP POINT DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT COLLINS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>US</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Chief Executive Officer</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>10757782</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Douglas S. Schatz and Jill E. Schatz Family Trust</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><derivativeTable><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>10.032</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2004-02-12</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2008-02-12</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>25000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>25000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>8.371</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2004-04-16</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2008-04-16</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>25000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>50000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>21.164</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2004-07-23</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2008-07-23</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>3295</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>53295</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>19.24</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2004-07-23</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-23</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>21705</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>75000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>22.52</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-10-15</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>25000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>22.52</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2004-10-15</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-10-15</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock </value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>25000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>100000</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Stock option dated 02/12/2003, 04/16/2003, 07/23/2003 and 10/15/2003 are such that 1/4 of the shares become exercisable on the first anniversary following the date of grant, and the remaining shares become exercisable in equal increments each quarter for 3 years thereafter.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Mr. Schatz has Employee Stock Options (right to buy) for a total of 100,000 shares of Common Stock.</footnote><footnote id="F3">Mr. Schatz owns indirectly, by Douglas S. Schatz &amp; Jill E. Schatz Family Trust 10,757,782 shares of Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. common stock.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Michael El-Hillow - Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

