Industrial Designers
Overview
Introduction
Industrial designers combine technical knowledge of materials, machines, and production with artistic talent to improve the appearance and function of machine-made products. They are sometimes known as commercial designers. There are approximately 34,000 industrial designers employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The median salary for commercial and industrial designers was $76,250 in May 2023, according to the U.S Department of Labor. The lowest 10 percent earned $46,530 annually, and the top 10 percent earned more than $126,010.
Depending on their employers, most industrial designers enjoy a full complement of benefits, including vacation and sick time as well as holidays and medical and dental...
Work Environment
Industrial designers enjoy generally pleasant work conditions. In many companies, the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. Most designers spend a significant amount of time at either a computer workstation or drawing board. Most industrial designers work at least 40 hours a week, with overtime frequently required. There is a lot of pressure to speed up the design/development process and get produc...
Outlook
Employment of industrial designers is expected to grow as fast as the average for all careers through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Despite employment declines in some areas of manufacturing, designers will be needed to improve product quality and safety, to design new products for the global marketplace, and to design high-technology products in consumer electronics, m...
