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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

27-1021 Commercial and Industrial Designers

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.


National estimates for Commercial and Industrial Designers
Industry profile for Commercial and Industrial Designers
Geographic profile for Commercial and Industrial Designers

National estimates for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
30,810 3.6 % $ 39.36 $ 81,870 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 22.37 $ 28.45 $ 36.66 $ 47.74 $ 60.58
Annual Wage (2) $ 46,530 $ 59,170 $ 76,250 $ 99,290 $ 126,010


Industry profile for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Commercial and Industrial Designers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Commercial and Industrial Designers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 3,130 2.02 $ 37.43 $ 77,860
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 2,660 0.18 $ 39.46 $ 82,070
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 2,490 0.15 $ 40.72 $ 84,700
Management of Companies and Enterprises 2,430 0.09 $ 42.93 $ 89,290
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) 1,570 0.47 $ 31.97 $ 66,500

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 3,130 2.02 $ 37.43 $ 77,860
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) 1,570 0.47 $ 31.97 $ 66,500
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 1,330 0.45 $ 33.70 $ 70,090
Fabric Mills 170 0.38 $ 36.66 $ 76,240
Textile Furnishings Mills 150 0.36 $ 40.62 $ 84,490

Top paying industries for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 110 0.07 $ 61.98 $ 128,920
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 150 0.05 $ 60.10 $ 125,000
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 130 0.03 $ 59.20 $ 123,140
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 50 (7) $ 57.09 $ 118,740
Software Publishers 150 0.02 $ 56.72 $ 117,970


Geographic profile for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Commercial and Industrial Designers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Commercial and Industrial Designers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of commercial and industrial designers by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,980 0.28 1.37 $ 45.36 $ 94,350
New York 3,050 0.32 1.60 $ 40.20 $ 83,610
Michigan 2,090 0.48 2.37 $ 37.26 $ 77,500
Florida 2,050 0.21 1.05 $ 33.89 $ 70,480
Ohio 1,620 0.30 1.46 $ 34.02 $ 70,760


Map of location quotient of commercial and industrial designers by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rhode Island 320 0.65 3.21 $ 41.44 $ 86,190
Iowa 790 0.51 2.51 $ 40.73 $ 84,720
Utah 830 0.49 2.44 $ 32.78 $ 68,180
Michigan 2,090 0.48 2.37 $ 37.26 $ 77,500
Vermont 120 0.38 1.89 $ 39.11 $ 81,340


Map of annual mean wages of commercial and industrial designers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 40 0.05 0.26 $ 57.97 $ 120,570
Washington 240 0.07 0.34 $ 53.08 $ 110,400
Kansas 140 0.10 0.50 $ 51.33 $ 106,760
California 4,980 0.28 1.37 $ 45.36 $ 94,350
Arizona 210 0.07 0.33 $ 45.17 $ 93,950



Map of employment of commercial and industrial designers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,370 0.36 1.75 $ 41.40 $ 86,110
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,550 0.41 2.04 $ 42.81 $ 89,040
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,140 0.60 2.97 $ 38.00 $ 79,040
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 830 0.30 1.50 $ 33.22 $ 69,090
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 690 0.36 1.79 $ 41.14 $ 85,570
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 580 0.21 1.03 $ 44.97 $ 93,540
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 570 0.24 1.17 $ 55.13 $ 114,670
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 560 0.12 0.61 $ 34.21 $ 71,160
Salt Lake City, UT 490 0.61 2.99 $ 32.55 $ 67,700
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 450 0.30 1.47 $ 44.98 $ 93,550


Map of location quotient of commercial and industrial designers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lima, OH 50 1.03 5.06 $ 30.76 $ 63,980
Monroe, MI 40 1.02 5.01 $ 33.33 $ 69,330
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 320 0.83 4.09 $ 48.50 $ 100,880
Logan, UT-ID 50 0.82 4.03 $ 33.51 $ 69,700
Dalton, GA 50 0.74 3.64 $ 35.64 $ 74,120
Salt Lake City, UT 490 0.61 2.99 $ 32.55 $ 67,700
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,140 0.60 2.97 $ 38.00 $ 79,040
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 320 0.60 2.94 $ 40.68 $ 84,610
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 60 0.59 2.91 $ 56.33 $ 117,160
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 330 0.57 2.82 $ 41.46 $ 86,250


Map of annual mean wages of commercial and industrial designers by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 230 0.20 0.97 $ 65.97 $ 137,210
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 60 0.59 2.91 $ 56.33 $ 117,160
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 570 0.24 1.17 $ 55.13 $ 114,670
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 200 0.10 0.48 $ 54.59 $ 113,540
Baton Rouge, LA 130 0.33 1.63 $ 53.57 $ 111,420
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 320 0.83 4.09 $ 48.50 $ 100,880
Raleigh, NC 130 0.19 0.93 $ 48.18 $ 100,210
Boulder, CO 80 0.42 2.08 $ 48.04 $ 99,920
Greensboro-High Point, NC 200 0.57 2.79 $ 47.88 $ 99,590
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 190 0.08 0.41 $ 45.90 $ 95,460

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 170 0.79 3.89 $ 34.78 $ 72,340
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 90 0.33 1.61 $ 35.01 $ 72,830
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 80 0.48 2.35 $ 31.58 $ 65,680
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 80 0.24 1.19 $ 33.84 $ 70,390
West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 60 0.48 2.38 $ 26.57 $ 55,270

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 170 0.79 3.89 $ 34.78 $ 72,340
West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 60 0.48 2.38 $ 26.57 $ 55,270
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 80 0.48 2.35 $ 31.58 $ 65,680
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.46 2.27 $ 24.67 $ 51,320
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 2.05 $ 34.15 $ 71,030

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Commercial and Industrial Designers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 40 0.37 1.80 $ 40.74 $ 84,740
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 40 0.36 1.75 $ 39.49 $ 82,140
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 40 0.20 0.99 $ 37.86 $ 78,750
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 1.37 $ 35.39 $ 73,600
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 90 0.33 1.61 $ 35.01 $ 72,830


About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024