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.

Also called: Design Engineer, Designer, Industrial Designer, Mechanical Designer, Mold Designer, Product Design Engineer, Product Designer, Product Development Engineer, Sign Designer, Art Glass Designer, Automobile Designer, Bank Note Designer, Bicycle Designer, Bike Designer, Boat Designer, Body Stylist, Car Body Designer, Ceramic Designer, Ceramic Mold Designer, Cloth Designer, Color Advisor, Color Consultant, Color Expert, Commercial Designer, Embroidery Designer, Engineer, Fabric Designer, Fire Sprinkler Designer, Furniture Designer, Game Designer, Lighting Designer, Memorial Designer, Motorcycle Designer, New Product Development Engineer, Ornamental Metalwork Designer, Package Designer, Packaging Designer, Pottery Decoration Designer, Product Developer, Product Development Specialist, Product Expert, Product Manager, Product Sustaining Engineer, Robot Designer, Robotic Toy Inventor, Roller Coaster Designer, Rug Designer, Safety Clothing Developer, Safety Equipment Developer, Silver Designer, Snowboard Designer, Stained Glass Artist, Stained Glass Window Designer, Surfboard Designer, Textile Designer, Tile Designer, Toy Designer, Toy Maker, UI Product Designer (User Interface Product Designer), UX Product Designer (User Experience Product Designer), Weapons Designer, Weapons Engineer

This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.

What the worker does

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.
Develop manufacturing procedures and monitor the manufacture of their designs in a factory to improve operations and product quality.
Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.

Skills, machines and equipment

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

Education and training

Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree (67.92% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

O*NET Job Zone 4: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships

Ask an employer or registered apprenticeship sponsor about current programs, eligibility, training and pay. A career profile does not confirm that a program is available.

Salary reference

66,450–109,050 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 27-1021.

Occupational-group wage references are not guaranteed pay for this specialty or an employer's offer.

Career advancement

Build design, analysis, validation, and project experience; explore senior technical specialist, project lead, or engineering-management paths with the required qualifications.
Ask employers which demonstrated skills, education, or credentials are needed for the next role. Related careers are exploration options, not automatic promotions.

How Do I Get This Job?

Review the skills and responsibilities above.
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree (67.92% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET Job Zone 4: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
Compare real openings and confirm requirements directly with the employer.

View available jobs — availability is not guaranteed; sample listings are not real openings.

Related career information

Sources and limitations

O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. ShopFloor adapted occupational grouping, selected manufacturing-relevant occupations, and retained seven legacy guide titles. Specialties and alternative titles are grouped under O*NET occupations; these occupations can also occur outside manufacturing. Source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html. No wage, vacancy, certification, or video data is implied. ShopFloor advancement suggestions are general editorial guidance, not O*NET findings or guaranteed career progression. BLS wage ranges, when available, are national 25th–75th percentiles for the source occupational grouping, across industries; they are not local, apprentice, entry-level, or specialty-specific offers.

Commercial and Industrial Designers