### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Industrial Designers Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			industrial designers imageIndustrial designers imagine how consumers might use a product when they create and test designs.							
						Quick Facts:     Industrial Designers2023     Median Pay
            						$76,250     per year
										$36.66     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Bachelor's degreeWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    NoneOn-the-job Training
                                    NoneNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    32,400Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    2% (As fast as average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    700What Industrial Designers Do
                                                
                        
                        
Industrial designers combine art, business, and engineering to develop the concepts for manufactured products.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Industrial designers work in a variety of industries. Although industrial designers work primarily in offices, they may travel to testing facilities, design centers, clients’ exhibit sites, users’ homes or workplaces, and places where the product is manufactured.
            
                                                How to Become an Industrial Designer
                                                
                        
Industrial designers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They also need an electronic portfolio with examples of their design projects.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for industrial designers was $76,250 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of industrial designers is projected to grow							 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
						About 2,200 openings for industrial designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for industrial designers.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of industrial designers with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about industrial designers by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Industrial Designers Do 
            

			Industrial designersIndustrial designers work primarily in offices, but they may travel to the places where the products are manufactured.			
Industrial designers develop the concepts for manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and toys. They combine art, business, and engineering to make products that people use every day. Industrial designers consider the function, aesthetics, production costs, and usability of products when developing new product concepts.
Duties
Industrial designers typically do the following:
Consult with clients to determine requirements for designs
Research the various ways a particular product might be used, and who will use it
Sketch ideas or create renderings, which are images on paper or on a computer that provide a visual of design ideas
Use computer software to develop virtual models of different designs
Create physical prototypes of their designs
Examine materials and manufacturing requirements to determine production costs
Work with other specialists, such as mechanical engineers and manufacturers, to evaluate whether their design concepts will fill needs at a reasonable cost
Evaluate product safety, appearance, and function to determine if a design is practical
Present designs and demonstrate prototypes to clients for approvalSome industrial designers focus on a particular product category. For example, they may design medical equipment or work on consumer electronics products, such as computers and smart phones. Other designers develop ideas for products such as new bicycles, furniture, housewares, and snowboards.
Other designers, sometimes called *user interface designers* or *interaction designers*, focus on the usability of a product, such as an electronic device, and ensure that the product is both simple and enjoyable to use.
Industrial designers imagine how consumers might use a product and test different designs with consumers to see how each design looks and works. Industrial designers often work with engineers, production experts, and market research analysts to find out if their designs are feasible. They apply the input from their colleagues’ professional expertise to further develop their designs. For example, industrial designers may work with market research analysts to develop plans to market new product designs to consumers.
Computers are a major tool for industrial designers. Industrial designers use two-dimensional computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) software to sketch ideas, because computers make it easy to make changes and show alternatives. Three-dimensional CAD software is increasingly being used by industrial designers as a tool to transform their two-dimensional designs into models with the help of three-dimensional printers. If they work for manufacturers, they also may use computer-aided industrial design (CAID) software to create specific machine-readable instructions that tell other machines exactly how to build the product.
 Work Environment
			Industrial designersWork spaces for industrial designers often include drafting tables and meeting rooms for brainstorming with colleagues.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Industrial designers held about 32,400 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of industrial designers were as follows:
        Manufacturing
                34%Wholesale trade
                15Specialized design services
                9Architectural, engineering, and related services
                9Self-employed workers
                5Work spaces for industrial designers often include work tables for sketching designs, meeting rooms with whiteboards for brainstorming with colleagues, and computers and other office equipment for preparing designs and communicating with clients. Although industrial designers work primarily in offices, they may travel to testing facilities, design centers, clients’ exhibit sites, users’ homes or workplaces, and places where the product is manufactured.
Work Schedules
Industrial designers who are self-employed or work for firms that hire them out to other organizations may need to adjust their workdays frequently in order to meet with clients in the evenings or on weekends. In addition, they may spend some of their time looking for new projects or competing with other designers for contracts.
 How to Become an Industrial Designer

			industrial designers imageA bachelor’s degree in industrial design, architecture, or engineering is usually required for entry-level industrial design jobs.			
Industrial designers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They also need an electronic portfolio with examples of their design projects.
Education
A bachelor’s degree is usually required for entry-level industrial design jobs. Common fields of degree include fine arts, engineering, or architecture. Most industrial design programs include courses in drawing, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), and three-dimensional modeling, as well as courses in business, industrial materials and processes, and manufacturing methods.
The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits more than 360 postsecondary colleges, universities, and independent institutes with programs in art and design. Many schools require successful completion of some basic art and design courses before granting entry into a bachelor’s degree program. Applicants also may need to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability.
Many programs provide students with the opportunity to build a professional portfolio of their designs from classroom projects, internships, or other experiences. Students can use these examples of their work to demonstrate their design skills when applying for jobs and bidding on contracts for work.
Important Qualities
***Analytical skills.*** Industrial designers use logic or reasoning skills to study consumers and recognize the need for new products.
***Artistic ability.*** Industrial designers sketch their initial design ideas, which are used later to create prototypes. As such, designers must be able to express their design through illustration.
***Computer skills.*** Industrial designers use computer-aided design software to develop their designs and create prototypes.
***Creativity.*** Industrial designers must be innovative in their designs and the ways in which they integrate existing technologies into their new product.
***Interpersonal skills.*** Industrial designers must develop cooperative working relationships with clients and colleagues who specialize in related disciplines.
***Mechanical skills.*** Industrial designers must understand how products are engineered, at least for the types of products that they design.
***Problem-solving skills.*** Industrial designers determine the need, size, and cost of a product; anticipate production issues; develop alternatives; evaluate options; and implement solutions.
Advancement
Experienced designers in large firms may advance to chief designer, design department head, or other supervisory positions. Some designers become teachers in design schools or in colleges and universities. Many teachers continue to consult privately or operate small design studios in addition to teaching. Some experienced designers open their own design firms.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Industrial DesignersMedian annual wages, May 2023Commercial and industrial designers$76,250  Art and design workers$51,660  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for industrial designers was $76,250 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,530, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $126,010.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for industrial designers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Wholesale trade
                $79,140Architectural, engineering, and related services
                77,850Manufacturing
                71,890Specialized design services
                69,050Industrial designers who are self-employed or work for firms that hire them out to other organizations may need to adjust their workdays frequently in order to meet with clients in the evenings or on weekends. In addition, they may spend some of their time looking for new projects or competing with other designers for contracts.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
               Industrial DesignersPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Total, all occupations3%  Art and design workers3%  Commercial and industrial designers2%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of industrial designers is projected to grow				 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
			
			About 2,200 openings for industrial designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
The need for new and innovative designs, especially for hi-tech products, is expected to support demand for industrial designers. However, projected employment declines in some manufacturing industries may offset this expected growth.
			

                        Employment projections data for     industrial designers, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Commercial and industrial designers**
			27-1021
			32,400
			33,000
			2
			700
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Commercial and industrial designers **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of industrial designers. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Architects**
            Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.
            Bachelor's degree
            $93,310**Desktop Publishers**
            Desktop publishers use computer software to design page layouts for items that are printed or published online.
            Associate's degree
            $51,290**Drafters**
            Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings.
            Associate's degree
            $62,530**Graphic Designers**
            Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers.
            Bachelor's degree
            $58,910**Industrial Engineers**
            Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.
            Bachelor's degree
            $99,380**Interior Designers**
            Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items.
            Bachelor's degree
            $62,510**Art Directors**
            Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions.
            Bachelor's degree
            $106,500**Fashion Designers**
            Fashion designers create clothing, accessories, and footwear.
            Bachelor's degree
            $79,290**Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers**
            Software developers design computer applications or programs. Software quality assurance analysts and testers identify problems with applications or programs and report defects.
            Bachelor's degree
            $130,160
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about industrial designers, visit
Industrial Designers Society of America
For more information about accredited college-level programs in art and design, visit
National Association of Schools of Art and Design

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Commercial and Industrial Designers
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Designers, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/industrial-designers.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics**
Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections 
PSB Suite 2135 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE  
Washington, DC 20212-0001 Telephone:1-202-691-5700 

www.bls.gov/ooh
Contact OOH