How to Become an Industrial Designer
Design the physical products people use every day, balancing form, function, and manufacturability. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $83,910 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$83,910/yr
Middle half
$66,450 to $109,050
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
2,500
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Product Design
- CAD Modeling
- Prototyping
- User Research
- Sketching
Helpful certifications
- Portfolio
- SolidWorks certification
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
63/100
Work-life balance
38/100
Stress level
54/100
Related careers
- Art Director$114,850 median
- Animator / Special Effects Artist$102,030 median
- Fashion Designer$80,960 median
- Editor$77,920 median
- Writer / Author$76,910 median
- Film and Video Editor$75,420 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Industrial Designer make?
The median pay for an Industrial Designer is $83,910 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $66,450 and $109,050 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become an Industrial Designer?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Industrial Design, Fine Arts, and Mechanical Engineering.
Is Industrial Designer a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 2,500 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does an Industrial Designer use most?
Common skills for this role are Product Design, CAD Modeling, Prototyping, User Research, and Sketching.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).