What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Commercial and Industrial Designers in the U.S. earn more than $83,910 a year — the middle 80% land between $53,460 and $139,770. About 33,490 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Commercial and Industrial Designers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$83,910typical pay / year
33,490people in this work
$139,770+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Make3
Design and develop manufactured products
+Deliver a manufacturable assembly design for the office chair line: finalise CAD drawings, add tolerance…
Design and develop manufactured products
+Deliver a manufacturable assembly design for the office chair line: finalise CAD drawings, add tolerance callouts for injection-moulded parts, produce a bill of materials with suppliers and cost targets, and package files for the sourcing team by Thursday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Sketch ideas or create renderings
+Produce three polished product concept renderings for the new portable speaker: sketch forms, pick two…
Sketch ideas or create renderings
+Produce three polished product concept renderings for the new portable speaker: sketch forms, pick two material finishes, produce high-resolution visuals from multiple angles, and export a presentation-ready PDF for Friday's design review.
The tools that do the workAdobe PhotoshopAdobe Illustratorjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Create physical prototypes of designs
+Produce a fit-and-function prototype of the hand tool: machine the primary housing, 3D-print internal mounts,…
Create physical prototypes of designs
+Produce a fit-and-function prototype of the hand tool: machine the primary housing, 3D-print internal mounts, assemble with off-the-shelf fasteners, test ergonomics and record three improvement items, then book a user test next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workC++job descriptionsWikipedia
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Analysing2
Research product use, marketing, and materials
+Compile a research brief on how customers use our camping lantern: summarise user interviews, compare three…
Research product use, marketing, and materials
+Compile a research brief on how customers use our camping lantern: summarise user interviews, compare three competing products, list manufacturable material options with cost and sustainability notes, and recommend three marketing hooks for the product brief.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Examine materials and manufacturing requirements
+Evaluate candidate materials for the outdoor headset: run strength and wear requirement checks, record…
Examine materials and manufacturing requirements
+Evaluate candidate materials for the outdoor headset: run strength and wear requirement checks, record manufacturability notes and supplier process constraints, estimate unit cost at scale, and recommend the top material with reasons to the sourcing lead.
The tools that do the workAutodesk Revitjob descriptionsO*NET
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Fixing1
Overseeing the development of products
+Manage the next product development sprint for the modular kitchen tool: set sprint goals, assign engineering…
Overseeing the development of products
+Manage the next product development sprint for the modular kitchen tool: set sprint goals, assign engineering and supplier tasks, track critical risks for tooling and lead times, and circulate an updated timeline to procurement and the product manager by Wednesday noon.
The tools that do the workApache MavenESCOO*NETWikipedia
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The daily work14
Determining product prices
+Set target unit prices for the new handheld pump: list material, machining, assembly and warranty costs,…
Determining product prices
+Set target unit prices for the new handheld pump: list material, machining, assembly and warranty costs, apply a 20% margin, compare to competitor price bands, and produce a two‑page recommendation for Ricky in procurement by Thursday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADESCO
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Project management
+Create a six‑week delivery plan for the prototype run: map milestones for design freeze, supplier quotes,…
Project management
+Create a six‑week delivery plan for the prototype run: map milestones for design freeze, supplier quotes, test builds and regulatory checks, flag three highest risks with mitigations, and share with Sarah in PMO by Monday morning.
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Ensures designs meet safety and regulatory standards
+Check the current design set against IEC and US CPSR requirements, mark every non‑conforming component with a…
Ensures designs meet safety and regulatory standards
+Check the current design set against IEC and US CPSR requirements, mark every non‑conforming component with a risk rating and the required corrective action, then compile a compliant evidence package for the certification body by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADO*NETWikipedia
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Assists in the development of product branding and packaging
+Create final dielines and artwork for the new consumer pack, confirm material and print specs with…
Assists in the development of product branding and packaging
+Create final dielines and artwork for the new consumer pack, confirm material and print specs with procurement, run a colour proof and cost impact summary, then deliver print‑ready files and a one‑page launch brief to marketing by Friday noon.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopO*NETWikipedia
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Consult with clients to determine requirements
+Run a one‑hour scoping call with Acme Supplies to capture functional musts, regulatory constraints, target…
Consult with clients to determine requirements
+Run a one‑hour scoping call with Acme Supplies to capture functional musts, regulatory constraints, target price and lead time, convert notes into a prioritized requirements list and send to the Acme product team with my proposed next steps by end of day.
The tools that do the workApple iOSjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Work with engineers and manufacturers
+Coordinate a technical review with the mechanical lead and the factory engineering manager to resolve two…
Work with engineers and manufacturers
+Coordinate a technical review with the mechanical lead and the factory engineering manager to resolve two tolerance conflicts, prepare an updated assembly drawing and a supplier action list, and confirm ship test dates before the weekly production meeting on Thursday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Supervise assistants' work throughout the design process.
+Audit the assistants' open tasks, give each one two prioritized fixes with traceable deadlines, review the…
Supervise assistants' work throughout the design process.
+Audit the assistants' open tasks, give each one two prioritized fixes with traceable deadlines, review the revised files for conformance to the spec, and report status and risks to the PM in time for the client review on Monday morning.
The tools that do the workC#O*NET
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Advise corporations on issues involving corporate image projects or problems.
+Assess the client's current corporate identity problems, prepare three strategic recommendations with legal…
Advise corporations on issues involving corporate image projects or problems.
+Assess the client's current corporate identity problems, prepare three strategic recommendations with legal and reputational risk notes, cost estimates and a proposed 90‑day rollout plan, then present to the executive sponsor at Thursday's board prep session.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignO*NET
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Use computer software to develop virtual models
+Build parametric virtual models of the new handheld enclosure to validate assembly, interference and…
Use computer software to develop virtual models
+Build parametric virtual models of the new handheld enclosure to validate assembly, interference and tolerance stacks, export exploded views and a neutral-format file set for the prototype team by Wednesday after checking mass, CG and mounting bosses.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADjob descriptions
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Selects materials and finishes for products
+Specify the external skin, internal structural materials and surface finishes for the consumer speaker,…
Selects materials and finishes for products
+Specify the external skin, internal structural materials and surface finishes for the consumer speaker, include supplier-grade material codes, cost and corrosion risk notes, and circulate to procurement and the mechanical engineer for sign-off by next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADWikipedia
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Maintains knowledge of current design trends and technologies
+Compile a fortnightly digest of three emerging product trends, two relevant manufacturing technologies and…
Maintains knowledge of current design trends and technologies
+Compile a fortnightly digest of three emerging product trends, two relevant manufacturing technologies and one competitor move, attach one annotated concept sketch and send to the design leadership and sales lead every second Friday.
The tools that do the workAdobe AcrobatWikipedia
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Setting targets
+Set quarterly design targets for weight, unit cost and time-to-production for the new range, document the…
Setting targets
+Set quarterly design targets for weight, unit cost and time-to-production for the new range, document the rationale with risk triggers and commercial impact, then share with program management and the finance director before the planning review on Monday.
The tools that do the workAdobe AcrobatESCO
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Planning and developing selling efforts
+Draft a go-to-market plan outlining technical selling points, required collateral, and channel targets for…
Planning and developing selling efforts
+Draft a go-to-market plan outlining technical selling points, required collateral, and channel targets for the engineering-led product line, assign actions to the product marketing manager and sales lead, and circulate for feedback by close of business Thursday.
The tools that do the workAdobe AcrobatESCO
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Managing sales agents
+Prepare a dashboard of each sales agent’s territory performance, open issues and technical support needs,…
Managing sales agents
+Prepare a dashboard of each sales agent’s territory performance, open issues and technical support needs, recommend two corrective actions per low-performer, and send to the regional sales manager and HR by Friday for the coaching sessions.
The tools that do the workAdobe AcrobatESCO
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses