Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for commercial and industrial designers in the U.S. is $83,910 ($40.34 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $83,910
- Mean annual wage
- $93,260
- Median hourly wage
- $40.34
- Employment
- 33,490
33,490 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,460 | $25.70 |
| 25th percentile | $66,450 | $31.95 |
| Median (50th) | $83,910 | $40.34 |
| 75th percentile | $109,050 | $52.43 |
| 90th percentile | $139,770 | $67.20 |
Highest-paying states for commercial and industrial designers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $104,870 | 260 |
| Michigan | $102,160 | 2,930 |
| Massachusetts | $101,720 | 1,240 |
| Rhode Island | $101,140 | 190 |
| California | $100,770 | 5,300 |
| Louisiana | $98,040 | 130 |
| Minnesota | $94,370 | 590 |
| Washington | $94,280 | 340 |
| Arkansas | $92,540 | 230 |
| Georgia | $91,360 | 360 |
Lowest-paying states
- South Dakota: $60,110 median annual wage
- Utah: $62,620 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $62,710 median annual wage
- Alabama: $63,640 median annual wage
- Iowa: $70,420 median annual wage
About this occupation
Design and develop manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.
Typical tasks
- Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
- Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
- Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.
- Develop manufacturing procedures and monitor the manufacture of their designs in a factory to improve operations and product quality.
- Read publications, attend showings, and study competing products and design styles and motifs to obtain perspective and generate design concepts.
- Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 5.7% |
| Some college, no degree | 18.6% |
| Associate's degree | 7.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 50.7% |
| Master's degree | 16.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Public Relations Specialists$74,750
- Coaches and Scouts$47,320
- Graphic Designers$62,960
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$39,390
- Producers and Directors$90,360
- Editors$77,920
- Interior Designers$67,190
- Audio and Video Technicians$58,100
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.