How to become a Commercial and Industrial Designer

Official title: Commercial and Industrial Designers

Also called: Design Engineer, Designer, Industrial Designer, Mechanical Designer, Mold Designer, Product Design Engineer, Product Designer, Product Development Engineer, Sign Designer

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.

Main tasks

• Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
• Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
• Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.
• Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
• Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
• Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
• Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.
• Investigate product characteristics such as the product's safety and handling qualities, its market appeal, how efficiently it can be produced, and ways of distributing, using, and maintaining it.

How to become one

Industrial designers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They also need an electronic portfolio with examples of their design projects.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Cloth Designer.
• Apprenticeship: Commercial Designer.
• Apprenticeship: Industrial Designer.
• College: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 32 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $83,910 a year The middle half earn $66,450 to $109,050.
• About 35,400 people work in this job now, and about 36,300 are projected by 2035. (+2.4%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Fashion Designers
• Floral Designers
• Graphic Designers
• Interior Designers
• Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
• Set and Exhibit Designers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Commercial and 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.

How much does a Commercial and Industrial Designer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $83,910 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $66,450 to $109,050.

Is a Commercial and Industrial Designer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 2% by 2035, from about 35,400 to about 36,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Commercial and Industrial Designer?

Usually. 79% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Commercial and Industrial Designer?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.