JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$83,910
Employment, U.S.33,490
Median hourly wage$40.34
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$53,460$66,450$83,910$109,050$139,770
By state (44)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama130$63,6400.30
Arizona170$76,4200.24
Arkansas230$92,5400.80
California5,300$100,7701.35
Colorado400$90,5900.65
Connecticut160$81,3000.44
Florida1,990$78,7200.93
Georgia360$91,3600.34
Idaho180$80,7300.99
Illinois480Not available0.37
Indiana1,110$88,0401.61
Iowa440$70,4201.31
Kansas260$104,8700.84
Kentucky420$76,1000.98
Louisiana130$98,0400.32
Maine200Not available1.42
Maryland490$70,8700.82
Massachusetts1,240$101,7201.58
Michigan2,930$102,1603.09
Minnesota590$94,3700.93
Missouri270$75,4400.43
Montana60$72,9900.51
Nebraska90$71,5700.39
Nevada210$76,6800.62
New Hampshire110$74,0500.73
New Jersey1,230$90,3101.33
New Mexico110$62,7100.59
New York2,400$89,6401.15
North Carolina1,000$80,6200.94
Ohio1,190$79,4701.00
Oklahoma240$76,6400.64
Oregon480$76,9701.13
Pennsylvania770$82,6100.59
Rhode Island190$101,1401.76
South Carolina810$77,3001.63
South Dakota190$60,1101.95
Tennessee750$71,2301.06
Texas2,350Not available0.78
Utah480$62,6201.29
Vermont120$80,6901.77
Virginia1,480$82,2301.67
Washington340$94,2800.44
West Virginia110$73,0300.73
Wisconsin820$80,5901.30

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians30.973
2Mechanical Drafters30.969
3Industrial Engineers40.968
4Mechatronics Engineers40.964
5Electrical Engineers40.964
6Mechanical Engineers40.963
7Automotive Engineers40.960
8Architectural and Engineering Managers50.959
9Electronics Engineers, Except Computer40.958
10Aerospace Engineers40.955

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Commercial and Industrial Designers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Electrical EngineersScience0.870.964
Validation EngineersScience1.630.952
Solar Energy Systems EngineersScience1.130.952
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and TechniciansOperation and Control1.500.940
Fire-Prevention and Protection EngineersScience1.000.940
Materials ScientistsScience2.130.938
Environmental EngineersScience1.250.932
Petroleum EngineersScience1.250.932
Water Resource SpecialistsTime Management0.760.928

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Commercial and Industrial Designers, excluding software Commercial and Industrial Designers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Microsoft Visual Basic16 of 207.7x
MathWorks Simulink9 of 2021.9x
Microsoft Visio16 of 205.0x
Finite element method FEM software7 of 2029.4x
Linux14 of 205.3x
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software11 of 208.2x
Very high-speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL6 of 2046.2x
UNIX12 of 206.2x
Microsoft Visual Studio9 of 209.0x
ANSYS simulation software6 of 2023.1x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.00
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.88 4.12
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.75 4.00
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.75 3.88
SpeakingEssential skill 3.50 4.00
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.25 3.88
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.25 3.75
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.25 3.12
WritingEssential skill 3.12 3.88
MonitoringEssential skill 3.12 3.75
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.12 3.62
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.12 3.62
Technology DesignTransferable skill 3.12 3.62
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.12 3.25
Active LearningEssential skill 3.00 4.00
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.00 3.75
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.50
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.88 2.75
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.88 2.38
MathematicsEssential skill 2.75 3.50
InstructingTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.75 2.88
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
ScienceEssential skill 2.62 2.75
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.38 2.50
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 2.12
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 1.75
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 2.00 1.50
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.88 1.88
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.88 1.50
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.75 0.88
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Design 4.71 6.02
Engineering and Technology 4.70 5.67
Production and Processing 4.04 4.60
Mechanical 4.04 4.58
Computers and Electronics 3.90 4.85
Mathematics 3.72 4.24
English Language 3.57 3.84
Physics 3.10 3.85
Sales and Marketing 3.03 3.67
Administrative 3.01 3.80
Administration and Management 2.97 3.86
Customer and Personal Service 2.96 3.28
Education and Training 2.79 3.86
Communications and Media 2.49 2.55
Personnel and Human Resources 2.44 3.06
Chemistry 2.41 2.82
Public Safety and Security 2.35 1.98
Building and Construction 2.17 2.12
Economics and Accounting 2.17 2.04
Law and Government 2.11 2.33
Fine Arts 1.89not rated
Transportation 1.88 1.56
Psychology 1.84 2.03
Biology 1.76 1.49
Telecommunications 1.74 1.40
Geography 1.65 1.24
Medicine and Dentistry 1.62not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.55not rated
Sociology and Anthropology 1.54not rated
History and Archeology 1.42not rated
Food Production 1.25not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.25not rated
Foreign Language 1.15not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Originality 3.88 4.38
Near Vision 3.88 4.12
Fluency of Ideas 3.88 4.00
Deductive Reasoning 3.75 4.62
Visualization 3.75 4.25
Oral Comprehension 3.75 4.00
Oral Expression 3.75 4.00
Written Comprehension 3.75 4.00
Information Ordering 3.62 3.88
Problem Sensitivity 3.62 3.88
Speech Recognition 3.62 3.88
Speech Clarity 3.50 3.25
Inductive Reasoning 3.38 3.88
Visual Color Discrimination 3.25 3.75
Category Flexibility 3.12 3.88
Written Expression 3.12 3.88
Flexibility of Closure 3.12 3.75
Selective Attention 3.12 3.12
Far Vision 3.00 3.12
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.88 2.75
Mathematical Reasoning 2.75 3.38
Number Facility 2.75 2.88
Finger Dexterity 2.75 2.75
Perceptual Speed 2.75 2.75
Time Sharing 2.75 2.38
Memorization 2.50 2.62
Speed of Closure 2.25 2.25
Control Precision 2.12 2.12
Auditory Attention 2.12 2.00
Hearing Sensitivity 2.12 1.88
Manual Dexterity 2.12 1.75
Depth Perception 2.00 2.12
Reaction Time 1.75 1.38
Trunk Strength 1.75 1.12
Dynamic Strength 1.62 0.62
Rate Control 1.50 0.62
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.38 0.50
Spatial Orientation 1.38 0.38
Multilimb Coordination 1.12not rated
Static Strength 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 61
  • 1CadCam Unigraphics
  • Adobe FreeHand MX
  • Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt
  • Autodesk 3ds Max
  • Autodesk AliasStudio
  • Autodesk Maya
  • Chaos Group V-Ray
  • Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
  • Corel Painter
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Delphi Technology
  • Eko
  • Email software
  • Finite element analysis software
  • Geometric CAMWorks
  • IBM Notes
  • InVision software
  • Kapwing
  • Maxon Cinema 4D
  • McNeel Rhinoceros 3D
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Minitab
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • QuarkXPress
  • Siemens NX
  • Siemens UGS NX
  • Software as a service SaaS
  • Verilog
  • Web browser software
  • Xara Designer Pro

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Elkhart-Goshen, IN1906.89$78,240
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI1,7604.29$108,180
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC3203.45$78,010
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI3402.61$79,410
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI4502.53$80,590
Wichita, KS1702.50$105,180
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA1,2502.45$104,000
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN5002.10$88,040
Greensboro-High Point, NC1401.77$77,820
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1,0201.76$102,530

More metros, other thresholds