Commercial and Industrial Designers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for commercial and industrial designerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $93,260 ≈ $45/hr
National median salary $83,910
Total employment 33,490 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +3.2% About as fast as average
Annual openings 2,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 30,600 → 31,600 (+1,000)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Kansas$111,230
  2. California$108,400
  3. Massachusetts$106,940
  4. Washington$105,430
  5. New York$101,190

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. South Dakota$61,970
  2. Alabama$68,520
  3. New Mexico$70,860
  4. Montana$71,610
  5. Utah$73,030
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Kansas $111,230 $104,870 $53 +19.3% 260
2 California $108,400 $100,770 $52 +16.2% 5,300
3 Massachusetts $106,940 $101,720 $51 +14.7% 1,240
4 Washington $105,430 $94,280 $51 +13% 340
5 New York $101,190 $89,640 $49 +8.5% 2,400
6 Rhode Island $100,630 $101,140 $48 +7.9% 190
7 Arkansas $100,450 $92,540 $48 +7.7% 230
8 Georgia $99,330 $91,360 $48 +6.5% 360
9 Michigan $98,110 $102,160 $47 +5.2% 2,930
10 New Jersey $93,840 $90,310 $45 +0.6% 1,230
11 Arizona $93,010 $76,420 $45 -0.3% 170
12 Minnesota $92,050 $94,370 $44 -1.3% 590
13 Vermont $90,620 $80,690 $44 -2.8% 120
14 Colorado $89,340 $90,590 $43 -4.2% 400
15 Louisiana $89,280 $98,040 $43 -4.3% 130

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 144 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $141,310 $148,840 410
2 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $119,490 $124,950 80
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $112,950 $102,010 420
4 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $108,180 $105,080 1,760
5 Boulder, CO $107,990 $99,210 80
6 Wichita, KS $105,180 $125,560 170
7 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $104,980 $110,450 270
8 Baton Rouge, LA $104,210 $97,390 30
9 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $104,000 $109,560 1,250
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $102,530 $108,370 1,020

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing commercial and industrial designerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing $145,600 $148,660 140
2 Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing $141,320 $143,880 70
3 Computer Systems Design and Related Services $134,220 $134,490 610
4 Motor Vehicle Manufacturing $130,550 $135,870 160
5 Scientific Research and Development Services $128,400 $132,640 500
6 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences $128,400 $132,640 500
7 Other Building Equipment Contractors $126,010 $113,310 60
8 Software Publishers $118,070 $118,090 70
9 Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers $112,950 $104,590 350
10 Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers $112,950 $104,590 350
11 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers $112,380 $118,320 210
12 Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $109,080 $105,210

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
4,144
$10-20k
337
$20-30k
821
$30-40k
1,281
$40-50k
657
$50-60k
1,105
$60-70k
1,105
$70-80k
1,670
$80-90k
1,461
$90-100k
1,605
$100-110k
392
$110-120k
134
$120-130k
123
$130-140k
1,225
$140-150k
439
$150-160k
65
$190-200k
84
$200k+
598

Pay by age band

16-24
$46,444
25-34
$59,089
35-44
$89,413
45-54
$85,077
55-64
$70,546
65+
$34,032

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$80,226
Masters Degree
$84,123
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$39,671
Associates Degree
$24,858
Regular high school diploma
$72,975
Some college, but less than 1 year
$21,385
12th grade - no diploma
$137,635
No schooling completed
$76,464
GED or alternative credential

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
11,542 · $99,183
Part-time
1,449 · $34,636

Race / ethnicity

White
$71,289
Other
$66,191
Asian
$52,757
Black
$107,142
Two or More Races
$43,894
American Indian
$76,464

Top fields of study

Commercial Art And Graphic Design
$109,940
Fine Arts
$52,787
General Business
$123,383
Economics
$66,307
Business Management And Administration
$69,565
Architecture
$54,772
Marketing And Marketing Research
$40,343
Psychology
$55,883

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do commercial and industrial designers make in the U.S.?

The median commercial and industrial designers salary in the United States is $83,910 per year (mean $93,260), and about 80% earn between $53,460 and $139,770.

How much do commercial and industrial designers make per hour?

Roughly $45 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $93,260 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays commercial and industrial designers the most?

Kansas has the highest average pay for commercial and industrial designers at $111,230 per year (median $104,870).

What is the job outlook for commercial and industrial designers?

Employment is projected to change +3.2% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 2,500 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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