Commercial and Industrial Designers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · SOC 27-1021 · O*NET 27-1021.00
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.
Commercial and Industrial Designers fall under the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media category in the U.S. occupational classification. Commercial and Industrial Designers earn a median salary of $79,450 per year, ranking in the top 24% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.2% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do commercial and industrial designers earn?
The median annual wage for commercial and industrial designers is $79,450. That puts commercial and industrial designers at #196 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $49,390 |
| 25th percentile | $62,040 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $79,450 |
| 75th percentile | $103,170 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $134,840 |
| Median hourly wage | $38.20/hr |
Is commercial and industrial designers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for commercial and industrial designers is +3.2%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 30K positions in 2024 to 31K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do commercial and industrial designers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working commercial and industrial designers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
- 2.Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
- 3.Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.
- 4.Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
- 5.Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
- 6.Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
- 7.Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.
- 8.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.
Top skills for commercial and industrial designers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become commercial and industrial designer?
The standard path into commercial and industrial designers begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about commercial and industrial designers
What is the median salary for commercial and industrial designers?
The median annual salary for commercial and industrial designers is $79,450 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is commercial and industrial designers a growing career?
BLS projects +3.2% growth for commercial and industrial designers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become commercial and industrial designer?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to commercial and industrial designers?
Related occupations within the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.