Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

27-1021 Commercial and Industrial Designers

Develop and design 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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
31,250 3.9 % $33.91 $70,540 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $17.51 $23.75 $31.72 $42.03 $51.42
Annual Wage (2) $36,430 $49,400 $65,970 $87,410 $106,950


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 3,980 2.84 $33.66 $70,010
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 3,650 0.26 $40.88 $85,030
Management of Companies and Enterprises 2,430 0.10 $38.58 $80,250
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 2,080 0.16 $32.58 $67,770
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 1,620 0.57 $28.76 $59,810

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 3,980 2.84 $33.66 $70,010
Footwear Manufacturing 190 1.46 $44.38 $92,320
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 1,620 0.57 $28.76 $59,810
Household Appliance Manufacturing 330 0.55 $31.78 $66,100
Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing 270 0.54 $31.20 $64,900

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Software Publishers 40 0.01 $46.71 $97,150
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (8) (8) $46.16 $96,020
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 30 (7) $45.18 $93,980
Footwear Manufacturing 190 1.46 $44.38 $92,320
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 300 0.08 $41.68 $86,690


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan 5,690 1.33 6.07 $36.27 $75,440
California 3,610 0.22 0.99 $35.15 $73,110
New York 2,400 0.26 1.19 $33.39 $69,450
Texas 1,680 0.14 0.64 $37.62 $78,260
Illinois 1,410 0.24 1.08 $32.07 $66,710




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan 5,690 1.33 6.07 $36.27 $75,440
Rhode Island 340 0.72 3.29 $36.45 $75,810
Vermont 170 0.54 2.48 $31.20 $64,900
Utah 610 0.43 1.98 (8) (8)
Oregon 570 0.31 1.41 $39.82 $82,820




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Arkansas (8) (8) (8) $41.06 $85,400
Nevada 50 0.04 0.18 $40.35 $83,920
Oregon 570 0.31 1.41 $39.82 $82,820
Washington 400 0.13 0.57 $39.32 $81,790
Massachusetts 810 0.23 1.05 $38.62 $80,330



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division 3,550 2.88 13.15 $39.92 $83,040
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,080 0.31 1.42 $34.14 $71,010
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,200 0.27 1.23 $32.21 $66,990
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 950 0.26 1.19 $32.43 $67,450
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI Metropolitan Division 730 1.00 4.55 (8) (8)
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 640 0.24 1.11 $30.15 $62,700
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 630 1.14 5.18 $29.19 $60,710
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 490 0.42 1.91 $42.62 $88,650
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 480 0.16 0.75 $44.17 $91,870
Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 480 0.41 1.87 (8) (8)


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division 3,550 2.88 13.15 $39.92 $83,040
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 110 1.78 8.11 $39.42 $81,990
Monroe, MI 60 1.66 7.58 $29.77 $61,920
Dubuque, IA 90 1.61 7.35 $28.36 $58,990
Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem, MA-NH NECTA Division 130 1.54 7.02 (8) (8)
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 630 1.14 5.18 $29.19 $60,710
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 430 1.08 4.93 $41.83 $87,020
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI Metropolitan Division 730 1.00 4.55 (8) (8)
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 120 0.93 4.24 $32.78 $68,180
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 70 0.74 3.36 $25.63 $53,310


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 70 0.22 0.99 $44.81 $93,210
Greensboro-High Point, NC 200 0.54 2.47 $44.75 $93,080
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 480 0.16 0.75 $44.17 $91,870
Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Division 30 0.52 2.39 $44.15 $91,830
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 490 0.42 1.91 $42.62 $88,650
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 60 0.48 2.19 $42.21 $87,790
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 430 1.08 4.93 $41.83 $87,020
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 320 0.19 0.89 $41.00 $85,280
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 380 0.23 1.07 $40.82 $84,900
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 250 0.17 0.78 $40.74 $84,740

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 220 0.79 3.60 $26.17 $54,430
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 70 0.32 1.48 $23.38 $48,630
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 60 0.38 1.71 (8) (8)
North Georgia nonmetropolitan area 60 0.38 1.71 $24.69 $51,350
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 50 0.37 1.70 $28.28 $58,820

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 220 0.79 3.60 $26.17 $54,430
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 60 0.38 1.71 (8) (8)
North Georgia nonmetropolitan area 60 0.38 1.71 $24.69 $51,350
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 50 0.37 1.70 $28.28 $58,820
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 40 0.34 1.56 $28.48 $59,250

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 40 0.21 0.96 $36.43 $75,780
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 40 0.20 0.91 $36.41 $75,730
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 50 0.19 0.85 $35.44 $73,720
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $34.87 $72,530
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 40 0.33 1.50 $29.27 $60,870


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018