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

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-11-23</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>2007-11-23</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6666</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>19.50</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>11739343</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-11-23</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>7400</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>19.52</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>8110602</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Through IP Fibre Devices (UK) Ltd.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-11-26</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>20000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>19.97</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>11719343</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-11-26</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>35600</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>19.96</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>8075002</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Through IP Fibre Devices (UK) Ltd.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </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 19.36 to $19.90 as follows:  100 shares at $19.36; 100 shares at $19.38; 430 shares at $19.40; 270 shares at $19.41; 300 shares at $19.42; 500 shares at $19.44; 700 shares at $19.45; 600 shares at $19.46; 100 shares at $19.47; 500 shares at $19.48; 100 shares at $19.49; 500 shares at $19.50; 366 shares at $19.51; 600 shares at $19.52; 200 shares at $19.53; 200 shares at $19.54; 600 shares at $19.55; 100 shares at $19.58; 100 shares at $19.66; 100 shares at $19.81; 100 shares at $19.88; and 100 shares at $19.90.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Sales ranged from $19.40 and $19.88 as follows:  400 shares at $19.40; 361 shares at $19.42; 100 shares at $19.43; 500 shares at $19.44; 761 shares at $19.45; 478 shares at $19.46; 100 shares at $19.47; 400 shares at $19.48; 100  shares at $19.49; 700 shares at $19.50; 300 shares at $19.51; 500 shares at $19.52; 200 shares at $19.53; 200 shares at $19.54; 1,000 shares at $19.55; 100 shares at $19.56; 300 shares at $19.59; 400 shares at $19.60; 100 shares at $19.66; 100 shares at $19.72; and 300 shares at $19.88.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Sales ranged from $19.78 to $20.01 as follows:  100 shares at $19.78; 400 shares at $19.81; 300 shares at $19.81; 600 shares at $19.83; 404 shares at $19.87; 296 shares at $19.88; 500 shares at $19.89; 600 shares at $19.90; 400 shares at $19.92; 200 shares at $19.93; 200 shares at $19.94; 500 shares at $19.95; 100 shares at $19.96; 1,312 shares at $19.97; 400 shares at $19.98; 1,197 shares at $19.99; 10,803 shares at $20.00; and 1,688 shares at $20.01.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Sales ranged from $19.71 to $20.04 as follows:  100 shares at $19.71; 700 shares at $19.81; 700 shares at $19.81; 526 shares at $19.83; 500 shares at $19.84; 100 shares at $19.84; 1,200 shares at $19.86; 1,020 shares at $19.87; 304  shares at $19.88; 1,176 shares at $19.90; 74 shares at $19.91; 1,500 shares at $19.93; 1,785 shares at $19.94; 1,842 shares at $19.95; 609 shares at $19.96; 4,330 shares at $19.97; 1,241 shares at $19.98; 2,140 shares at $19.99; 13,490 shares at $20.00; 1,648 shares at $20.01; 515 shares at $20.02; and 100 shares at $20.04.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">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>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Angelo P. Lopresti, Attorney-at-law</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-11-27</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
