<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-10-22</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001111928</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>IPG PHOTONICS CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>IPGP</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001130421</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GAPONTSEV VALENTIN P</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O IPG PHOTONICS CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>50 OLD WEBSTER ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>OXFORD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>01540</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>CEO &amp; Chairman of the Board</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-10-22</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>14266</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>20.63</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>11758409</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-10-22</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>14400</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>20.63</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>8146602</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Through IP Fibre Devices (UK) Ltd.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F8"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-10-23</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>9400</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>20.21</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F7"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>11749009</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-10-23</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>9100</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>20.21</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F9"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>8137502</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Through IP Fibre Devices (UK) Ltd.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F8"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The sales reported in this Form 4 were effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on August 23, 2007.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Sales ranged from $20.01 to $21.34 as follows:  100 shares at $20.01; 407 shares at $20.07; 100 shares at $20.08; 300 shares at $20.12; 100 shares at $20.13; 200 shares at $20.14; 100 shares at $20.16; 100 shares at $20.17; 100 shares at $20.18; 100 shares at $20.21; 700 shares at $20.25; 100 shares at $20.26; 400 shares at $20.30; 93 shares at $20.44; 200 shares at $20.50; 300 shares at $20.51; 100 shares at $20.53; 100 shares at $20.56; 100 shares at $20.57; 100 shares at $20.59; 200 shares at $20.60; 200 shares at $20.61; 300 shares at $20.62; 200 shares at $20.63; 300 shares at $20.64; 400 shares at $20.66; 23 shares at $20.67; 200 shares at $20.68; 200 shares at $20.69; 2,000 shares at $20.70; 200 shares at $20.71; 300 shares at $20.72; 12 shares at $20.73; 365 shares at $20.74; 700 shares at $20.75; 100 shares at $20.76; 100 shares at $20.77; 300 shares at $20.78; 703 shares at $20.80; 697 shares at $20.81; 1,000 shares at $20.82; 500 shares at $20.83.  Cont. Footnote 3.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">200 shares at $20.84; 300 shares at $20.85; 500 shares at $20.90; 100 shares at $20.91; 100 shares at $20.92; 67 shares at $21.32; and 199 shares at $21.34.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Sales ranged from $20.01 to $21.36 as follows:  100 shares at $20.01; 100 shares at $20.03; 200 shares at $20.04; 200 shares at $20.06; 300 shares at $20.07; 100 shares at $20.08; 100 shares at $20.09; 200 shares at $20.10; 100 shares at $20.12; 100 shares at $20.14; 700 shares at $20.25; 200 shares at $20.26; 300 shares at $20.30; 100 shares $20.31; 200 shares at $20.38; 200 shares $20.50; 200 shares at $20.52; 200 shares at $20.53; 100 shares at $20.56; 100 shares at $20.57; 100 shares at $20.58; 300 shares at $20.59; 200 shares at $20.60; 200 shares at $20.61; 123 shares at $20.62; 300 shares at $20.64; 200 shares at $20.65; 300 shares at $20.66; 177 shares at $20.67; 200 shares at $20.68; 1,100 shares at $20.70; 1,100 shares at $20.71; 300 shares at $20.72; 200 shares at $20.73; 200 shares at $20.74; 612 shares at $20.75; 100 shares at $20.76; 200 shares at $20.78; 100 shares at $20.79; 1,388 shares at $20.80; 200 shares at $20.81; 900 shares at $20.82.  Cont. Footnote 5.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">600 shares at $20.83; 698 shares at $20.85; 200 shares at $20.89; 400 shares at $20.90; 2 shares at $20.92; 30 shares at $21.32; 100 shares at $21.34; and 70 shares at $21.36.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">Sales ranged from $19.96 to $20.62 as follows:  200 shares at $19.96; 1,600 shares at $20.06; 200 shares at $20.08; 300 shares at $20.09; 515 shares at $20.10; 300 shares at $20.11; 100 shares at $20.1150; 485 shares at $20.12; 600 shares at $20.13; 100 shares at $20.14; 200 shares at $20.15; 100 shares at $20.16; 200 shares at $20.17; 100 shares at $20.19; 200 shares at $20.20; 300 shares at $20.21; 100 shares at $20.22; 1,200 shares at $20.24; 200 shares $20.25; 100 shares $20.27; 400 shares at $20.30; 300 shares at $20.32; 200 shares at $20.37; 100 shares at $20.39; 100 shares at $20.40; 88 shares at $20.41; 312 shares at $20.43; 100 shares $20.46; 100 shares at $20.47; 200 shares at $20.52. Cont. Footnote 6.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">200 shares at $20.59; and 200 shares at $20.62.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">The reporting person is the managing director of IP Fibre Devices (UK) Ltd. and has voting and investment power with respect to the shares held of record by IP Fibre Devices (UK) Ltd.  The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, and the inclusion of these shares in this report shall not be deemed an admission of the beneficial ownership of all the reported shares for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F9">Sales ranged from $19.96 to $20.62 as follows:  200 shares at $19.96; 1,293 shares at $20.06; 100 shares at $20.07; 400 shares at $20.08; 400 shares at $20.09; 407 shares at $20.10; 200 shares at $20.11; 500 shares at $20.12; 200 shares at $20.13; 300 shares at $20.14; 200 shares at $20.145; 100 shares at $20.15; 100 shares at $20.16; 300 shares at $20.17; 74 shares at $20.18; 100 shares at $20.199; 100 shares at $20.20; 100 shares at $20.21; 100 shares at $20.22; 900 shares at $20.24; 526 shares at $20.25; 100 shares at $20.255; 183 shares at $20.26; 17 shares at $20.27; 100 shares at $20.294; 200 shares at $20.30; 300 shares at $20.37; 88 shares at $20.39; 112 shares at $20.40; 200 shares at $20.41; 100 shares at $20.42; 100 shares at $20.43; 200 shares at $20.44; 200 shares at $20.46; 100 shares at $20.53; 100 shares at $20.545; 100 shares at $20.59; 200 shares at $20.60; and 100 shares at $20.62.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Angelo P. Lopresti, Attorney-at-law</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-10-24</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
