Commercial and industrial designers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,460 | $25.70 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $83,910 | $40.34 |
| Mean (average) | $93,260 | $44.84 |
| 90th percentile | $139,770 | $67.20 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Commercial and industrial designers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 44 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,640 | $45,430 | $93,030 | 130 | 0.3 |
| Arizona | $76,420 | $48,620 | $183,880 | 170 | 0.24 |
| Arkansas | $92,540 | $63,840 | $141,140 | 230 | 0.8 |
| California | $100,770 | $62,860 | $168,490 | 5,300 | 1.35 |
| Colorado | $90,590 | $39,710 | $137,320 | 400 | 0.65 |
| Connecticut | $81,300 | $36,800 | $107,760 | 160 | 0.44 |
| Florida | $78,720 | $51,440 | $120,640 | 1,990 | 0.93 |
| Georgia | $91,360 | $55,380 | $149,910 | 360 | 0.34 |
| Idaho | $80,730 | $54,680 | $125,420 | 180 | 0.99 |
| Illinois | Data unavailable | 480 | 0.37 | ||
| Indiana | $88,040 | $56,850 | $117,750 | 1,110 | 1.61 |
| Iowa | $70,420 | $51,690 | $94,570 | 440 | 1.31 |
| Kansas | $104,870 | $60,590 | $163,180 | 260 | 0.84 |
| Kentucky | $76,100 | $51,020 | $104,900 | 420 | 0.98 |
| Louisiana | $98,040 | $44,580 | $131,380 | 130 | 0.32 |
| Maine | Data unavailable | 200 | 1.42 | ||
| Maryland | $70,870 | $43,940 | $106,750 | 490 | 0.82 |
| Massachusetts | $101,720 | $76,010 | $149,990 | 1,240 | 1.58 |
| Michigan | $102,160 | $49,830 | $137,850 | 2,930 | 3.09 |
| Minnesota | $94,370 | $59,550 | $127,970 | 590 | 0.93 |
| Missouri | $75,440 | $44,780 | $136,980 | 270 | 0.43 |
| Montana | $72,990 | $46,740 | $94,780 | 60 | 0.51 |
| Nebraska | $71,570 | $50,000 | $106,520 | 90 | 0.39 |
| Nevada | $76,680 | $38,240 | $157,910 | 210 | 0.62 |
| New Hampshire | $74,050 | $47,330 | $138,200 | 110 | 0.73 |
| New Jersey | $90,310 | $59,550 | $134,580 | 1,230 | 1.33 |
| New Mexico | $62,710 | $45,470 | $109,760 | 110 | 0.59 |
| New York | $89,640 | $59,160 | $160,380 | 2,400 | 1.15 |
| North Carolina | $80,620 | $48,830 | $134,040 | 1,000 | 0.94 |
| Ohio | $79,470 | $50,560 | $126,330 | 1,190 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | $76,640 | $48,930 | $122,370 | 240 | 0.64 |
| Oregon | $76,970 | $52,990 | $122,810 | 480 | 1.13 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,610 | $48,360 | $131,680 | 770 | 0.59 |
| Rhode Island | $101,140 | $57,810 | $137,580 | 190 | 1.76 |
| South Carolina | $77,300 | $33,580 | $125,090 | 810 | 1.63 |
| South Dakota | $60,110 | $43,840 | $78,850 | 190 | 1.95 |
| Tennessee | $71,230 | $45,330 | $108,430 | 750 | 1.06 |
| Texas | Data unavailable | 2,350 | 0.78 | ||
| Utah | $62,620 | $43,130 | $120,000 | 480 | 1.29 |
| Vermont | $80,690 | $63,590 | $154,800 | 120 | 1.77 |
| Virginia | $82,230 | $59,080 | $101,270 | 1,480 | 1.67 |
| Washington | $94,280 | $62,390 | $153,910 | 340 | 0.44 |
| West Virginia | $73,030 | $61,970 | $121,530 | 110 | 0.73 |
| Wisconsin | $80,590 | $62,850 | $118,070 | 820 | 1.3 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for commercial and industrial designers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 6.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for commercial and industrial designers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Packaging Science CIP 15.1503
- Energy Systems Technology/Technician CIP 15.1701
- Design and Visual Communications, General CIP 50.0401
- Commercial and Advertising Art CIP 50.0402
- Industrial and Product Design CIP 50.0404
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
- Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
- Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.
- Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
- Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
- Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
- Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.
- Investigate product characteristics such as the product's safety and handling qualities, its market appeal, how efficiently it can be produced, and ways of distributing, using, and maintaining it.
Technology skills
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (in demand)
- Adobe Illustrator (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (in demand)
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (in demand)
- Figma (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Apache Maven (hot technology)
- Apple iOS (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- C (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Operations Analysis, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Common job titles: Design Engineer, Designer, Industrial Designer, Mechanical Designer, Mold Designer, Product Design Engineer, Product Designer, Product Development Engineer, Sign Designer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do commercial and industrial designers make?
The national median annual wage for commercial and industrial designers was $83,910 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $53,460 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $139,770. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do commercial and industrial designers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is commercial and industrial designers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of commercial and industrial designers to change +2.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay commercial and industrial designers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Kansas ($104,870), Michigan ($102,160), Massachusetts ($101,720). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.