Industrial Designer salary
From 1,346 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 27-1021: Commercial and Industrial Designers
- Also filed as: Technical Designer
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 46% of Industrial Designer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: L&T Technology Services. 146 filings (11% of the total), median $84,138.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 4 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $93,500 in New York, NY to $165,500 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 36% since FY2020. From $72,100 in FY2020 to $97,947 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Industrial Designer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 1,346 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Industrial Designer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 27-1021, Commercial and Industrial Designers). The median base salary is $94,000, 23% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $75,083 and $136,947. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 46% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (156), and L&T Technology Services is the employer that files the most (146).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Industrial Designer
L&T Technology Services146 filings · 11%$84,138
Microsoft88 filings · 7%$173,080
M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates55 filings · 4%$85,000
Nike44 filings · 3%$131,227
Google24 filings · 2%$171,000
Hinduja Tech24 filings · 2%$76,461
Tata Technologies24 filings · 2%$73,896
Apple23 filings · 2%$177,100
Piping Technology & Products20 filings · 1%$67,600
KPIT Technologies17 filings · 1%$89,000
Employers with the most Industrial Designer filings. Bar: share of all Industrial Designer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 15% of filings
Mid-level · 46% of filings
Senior · 18% of filings
Expert · 21% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $64,480 | 206 |
| Level II · Qualified | $83,190 | 608 |
| Level III · Experienced | $125,000 | 237 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $146,429 | 285 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Industrial Designer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 16 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $93,500 | 156 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $100,000 | 134 |
| San Jose, CA | $165,500 | 124 |
| San Francisco, CA | $141,720 | 116 |
| Seattle, WA | $167,771 | 91 |
| Detroit, MI | $84,642 | 82 |
| Houston, TX | $70,616 | 66 |
| Chicago, IL | $75,000 | 56 |
| Portland, OR | $130,000 | 55 |
| Columbus, OH | $85,000 | 42 |
| Atlanta, GA | $89,522 | 38 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $85,000 | 30 |
| Boston, MA | $106,330 | 27 |
| Dallas, TX | $82,277 | 22 |
| San Diego, CA | $114,899 | 16 |
| Miami, FL | $61,734 | 13 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Industrial Designer does
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.
Typical 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.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Commercial and Industrial Designers (27-1021.00). This section 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.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Commercial and Industrial Designers), the median annual wage was $83,910 in May 2025, with 33,490 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $94,000, 12% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,407 | $53,460 |
| 25th percentile | $75,083 | $66,450 |
| Median | $94,000 | $83,910 |
| 75th percentile | $136,947 | $109,050 |
| 90th percentile | $175,800 | $139,770 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,407 |
| 25th | $75,083 |
| 50th (median) | $94,000 |
| 75th | $136,947 |
| 90th | $175,800 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $72,100 | $63,000 | $95,680 | 943 |
| FY2021 | $80,000 | $67,725 | $112,424 | 804 |
| FY2022 | $84,000 | $69,468 | $124,963 | 972 |
| FY2023 | $89,336 | $75,000 | $125,000 | 637 |
| FY2024 | $90,000 | $74,880 | $130,460 | 693 |
| FY2025 | $90,938 | $72,900 | $137,946 | 803 |
| FY2026 | $97,947 | $79,321 | $135,100 | 543 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Industrial Designer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Industrial Designer jobs is $94,000 (1,346 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $75,083 and $136,947.
What does an entry-level Industrial Designer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $64,480. Level I accounts for 15% of Industrial Designer filings.
Which city pays H-1B Industrial Designers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Industrial Designer jobs: $165,500 (124 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Industrial Designers?
L&T Technology Services (146), Microsoft (88) and M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates (55) filed the most Industrial Designer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Industrial Designers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($94,000) is 12% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($83,910, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.