Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations · 33K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$83,910
Median hourly
$40
Average annual
$93,260
Typical range
$53,460–$139,770
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Commercial and Industrial Designers is $83,910 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $40 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $53,460 and $139,770 a year. There are roughly 33K people employed as commercial and industrial designers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Commercial and Industrial Designers.
- Hourly
- $40.34
- Daily
- $323
- Weekly
- $1,614
- Bi-weekly
- $3,227
- Monthly
- $6,993
- Annual
- $83,910
$83,910 a year is around the 50th percentile for Commercial and Industrial Designerss. The median is $83,910.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Kansas$104,870
- 2Michigan$102,160
- 3Massachusetts$101,720
- 4Rhode Island$101,140
- 5California$100,770
- 6Louisiana$98,040
- 7Minnesota$94,370
- 8Washington$94,280
- 9Arkansas$92,540
- 10Georgia$91,360
- 11Colorado$90,590
- 12New Jersey$90,310
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$141,310
- 2Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$119,490
- 3Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$112,950
- 4Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$108,180
- 5Boulder, CO$107,990
- 6Wichita, KS$105,180
- 7Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$104,980
- 8Baton Rouge, LA$104,210
- 9San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$104,000
- 10Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$102,530
- 11Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$100,520
- 12San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$99,650
Related job titles
Employers advertise Commercial and Industrial Designers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
What a Commercial and Industrial Designers does
- 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.
- Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Commercial and Industrial Designers make?
- The median annual wage for Commercial and Industrial Designers is $83,910 ($40 per hour). Pay ranges from about $53,460 at the 10th percentile to $139,770 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Commercial and Industrial Designers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $93,260, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Commercial and Industrial Designerss the most?
- Kansas has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $104,870.
- Is Commercial and Industrial Designers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 33K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Commercial and Industrial Designers do?
- 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..