# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/commercial-and-industrial-designers
- SOC code: 27-1021.00
- Career family: Arts, design and media
- Median annual pay: $83,910 (10th percentile $53,460, 90th percentile $139,770)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.4%
- Openings a year: 2,800
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ARI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 60 |
| Investigative (I) | 51 |
| Artistic (A) | 76 |
| Social (S) | 14 |
| Enterprising (E) | 45 |
| Conventional (C) | 41 |

## What you'd do

- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment (importance 89/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 85/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 85/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 84/100)
- Getting Information (importance 80/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 74/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 73/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 72/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 72/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 68/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Analysis, Time Management, Coordination, Monitoring

## Knowledge

Design, Engineering and Technology, Mechanical, Production and Processing, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, English Language, Physics, Sales and Marketing, Administrative

## Also called

Art Glass Designer, Automobile Designer, Bank Note Designer, Bicycle Designer, Bike Designer, Boat Designer, Body Stylist, Car Body Designer, Ceramic Designer, Ceramic Mold Designer

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Design and Applied Arts](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5004) (CIP 5004, 1,175 colleges)
- [Engineering-Related Fields](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1515) (CIP 1515, 230 colleges)
- [Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1517) (CIP 1517, 224 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Design and Applied Arts | $91,413 | $138,588 | $21,000 |
| [New York University NYU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-york-university-nyu-1866) | Engineering-Related Fields | $73,429 | $114,572 | $19,000 |
| [Arizona State University Campus Immersion](https://www.collegesref.com/college/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion-101) | Engineering-Related Fields | $83,182 | $102,320 | $26,968 |
| [Arizona State University Digital Immersion](https://www.collegesref.com/college/arizona-state-university-digital-immersion-102) | Engineering-Related Fields | $83,182 | $102,320 | $26,968 |
| [Stevens Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stevens-institute-of-technology-2604) | Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | $101,798 | $23,250 |
| [University of Arizona Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-arizona-main-campus-2867) | Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | $101,557 | not reported |
| [Miami University-Oxford](https://www.collegesref.com/college/miami-university-oxford-1675) | Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | $99,473 | not reported |
| [Lawrence Technological University-Michigan](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lawrence-technological-university-michigan-1459) | Design and Applied Arts | $62,595 | $99,444 | $27,000 |

## Related careers

- [Mechanical Drafters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mechanical-drafters): $71,550 median pay
- [Model Makers, Metal and Plastic](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/model-makers-metal-and-plastic): $63,340 median pay
- [Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers): $62,750 median pay
- [Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/patternmakers-metal-and-plastic): $58,000 median pay
- [Fashion Designers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fashion-designers): $80,960 median pay
- [Industrial Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/industrial-engineers): $102,440 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.