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SOC 17-2112
Industrial designers correspond to the specific U.S. occupation O*NET/SOC 27-1021.00, Commercial and Industrial Designers, called industrial designers on this page. They design and develop manufactured products such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys, combining artistic talent with research into product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing designs. Official scope: 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. Core tasks include preparing concept sketches and detailed drawings, modifying and refining designs, assessing feasibility in appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, and production cost, consulting engineering, marketing, production, and sales departments and clients, submitting designs for approval, and directing model and sample production. U.S. wages and employment on this page come from BLS OEWS 2025 and BLS 2024—2034 employment projections presented by O*NET (specific occupation 27-1021.00). Precise mainland Chinese occupational wages were not obtained and are recorded as a visible gap; China's qualification, engineering, and safety system boundaries are marked separately.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+75+25)/3+0.5)=58; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
Responsibility assessment | Genuine fit depends on whether you can accomplish three things within the same design project: develop concepts and feasibility thoroughly, understanding users and uses, drawing and refining designs, evaluating appearance, safety, function, and cost feasibility, and producing reviewable designs and reports; manage constraints and standards—materials and processes, safety and compliance, and cost and production limits—under organizational and regulatory requirements; and accept defined professional responsibilities, taking responsibility for your design's feasibility and communication while consulting or referring engineering certification, safety conclusions, and production decisions beyond authority. Test this through a verifiable experience, such as completing a step-by-step design procedure with feasibility and cost assessment or practicing concept development against a set of requirements, rather than relying solely on an interest questionnaire.
Caution signals | Official scope and tasks involve design concepts, material and process constraints, and safety and compliance. Undetected conflict between a concept and manufacturing processes, inaccurate material or cost estimates, unmet safety or compliance requirements, or designs misread as production-ready or certified may cause rework, cost overruns, or product risks. This page therefore addresses material and process feasibility, safety and compliance, cost and production limits, and design-conclusion and authorization boundaries separately. The U.S. occupation itself is not marked Bright Outlook; the O*NET summary and employment trends project average growth (3%) in 2024—2034, about 2,500 annual openings, and approximately 30,600 employed in 2024. If repeated revisions, cross-department negotiation, or cost and time pressure would be difficult for you, treat these as real costs requiring careful consideration.
Industrial designers on this page correspond to U.S. O*NET/SOC 27-1021.00, Commercial and Industrial Designers: designing and developing manufactured products such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys; combining artistic talent with research into product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing designs. Official scope: 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. Core tasks include using drafting instruments or CAD equipment to prepare concept sketches, detailed drawings, illustrations, or blueprints; using working models to modify and refine designs to meet client specifications, production limitations, or changing design trends; assessing feasibility based on appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs, and market characteristics; consulting engineering, marketing, production, and sales departments and clients to establish and evaluate design concepts; presenting designs and reports to clients or design committees for approval; researching production specifications, costs, materials, and manufacturing methods and providing cost estimates; directing and coordinating model and sample fabrication and working drawings; and investigating product characteristics such as safety, market appeal, production efficiency, and use and maintenance. Common titles include Industrial Designer, Product Designer, Product Design Engineer, Mechanical Designer, and Mold Designer. U.S. data cover specific occupation 27-1021.00; mainland China's qualification, engineering, and safety systems are marked separately using sources from their respective jurisdictions and are not interchangeable.
Career direction comparison
The following comparison helps distinguish directions. Each row addresses the same dimensions: core work and outputs, key differences from this occupation, and preferences it may suit. Table evidence links lead to official U.S. occupation pages.
| Career direction | Core work and outputs | Key differences | Preferences it may suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial designers (this occupation) | Design manufactured products, assess feasibility and costs, and produce drawings and proposals | Centers on product design, feasibility, and production-cost assessment | People willing to combine artistic expression with engineering constraints |
| Graphic designers (adjacent) | Visual communication, branding, and print or digital-media design |
AI's impact on occupations
Insufficient evidence: no generative AI adoption rate, net employment effect, or replacement timetable was obtained for industrial designers. Editorial analysis: concept variations, sketch rendering, material retrieval, and review documents are candidates for trials; user needs, manufacturability, safety, and costs require verification. AI Impact Score 58% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+75+25)/3+0.5)=58; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Mainland China pay reference
Classification comparison | U.S. SOC 27-1021.00 identifies Commercial and Industrial Designers within arts, design, and media occupations, distinct from Graphic Designers (27-1024.00), Interior Designers (27-1025.00), Fashion Designers (27-1022.00), Set and Exhibit Designers (27-1027.00), Art Directors (27-1011.00), Industrial Engineers (17-2112.00), and Manufacturing Engineers (17-2112.03). International classifications such as ISCO-08 indicate only the broad placement of design roles and cannot replace U.S. SOC or mainland Chinese occupational classifications and statistical scopes.
Occupational definition | Industrial designers on this page correspond to U.S. SOC 27-1021.00, Commercial and Industrial Designers. The official scope is designing and developing manufactured products such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys, combining artistic talent with research into product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing designs. Mainland Chinese industrial product-design roles have similar tasks, but qualification, engineering, and safety systems belong to different jurisdictions; no numerical conversion is made between them.
U.S. pay reference
2025 national annual wage percentiles 10 / 25 / 50 / 75 / 90 are 53,460 / 66,450 / 83,910 / 109,050 / 139,770 USD; median hourly pay is 40.34 USD. Current BLS 2025—2035 Commercial and Industrial Designers SOC27-1021 projects employment rising from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements, not net new jobs or actual recruitment. The overall projection cannot be attributed to generative AI.
| Wage-distribution position | Annual wage reference | Conversion boundaries | How to interpret this position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | 10th-percentile annual pay: 53,460 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00) | Official annual wages, not individual monthly income | The 10th percentile is a wage-distribution threshold, not minimum pay, starting pay, or a designation of less-experienced workers. |
| Median (50%) | Median annual pay: 83,910 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00) |
Career fit guide
Direct answer | Fit signals for industrial designers concern translating user needs and artistic expression into manufacturable, assessable, cost-controlled designs and maintaining an evidence-based position in cross-department consultation, rather than personality labels. The ARI interest code (Artistic—Realistic—Investigative) is only directional guidance; preferences do not equal talent or hiring conclusions.
You may be better suited： Signal one | Can you translate user needs into clear, feasible designs?
These circumstances require caution： Signal two | Can you make choices under material, process, and cost constraints and explain their basis?
Try an entry exercise： Signal three | Can you identify safety and compliance requirements and consult or refer matters beyond authority?
Work pressures, risks, and professional boundaries
Direct answer | Industrial designers' main risks fall into four categories: conflicts between designs and processes or costs, material and parameter errors, unmet safety or compliance requirements, and improper design-document and client-information handling. Priorities are traceable design rationale, assessments, and revisions, and consultation or referral of matters beyond authority.
Evidence scope | Risk items draw on O*NET 27-1021.00 tasks—concepts and drawings, design iteration, feasibility assessment, consultation and review, production and costs, and model making—and work activities, plus relevant safety and compliance requirements. China-related system boundaries are editorial synthesis, subject to current regulations and organizational systems.
Typical scenario：Undetected conflicts between designs and manufacturing processes or costs
Main roles：Industrial designers, production and cost leads
Entry, qualifications, and career development
Direct answer | Entry typically combines relevant education with design-tool skills and a portfolio. First gain drawing, material and process, and feasibility-assessment experience, then gradually take on lead design and cross-department coordination. For products involving safety or compliance requirements, check qualifications under organizational rules. Both paths require verifiable designs and implementation records to demonstrate capabilities rather than certificates alone.
Career outlook and transitions to related occupations
Current BLS 2025—2035 Commercial and Industrial Designers SOC27-1021: employment rises from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements, not net new jobs or actual recruitment. The overall projection cannot be attributed to generative AI. Transitions are editorial task comparisons; check target methods, training, and authorization separately. Precise Chinese occupational wages remain a gap.
United States · Specific occupation 27-1021.00
2%
Employment growth
Overall employment projections do not establish AI causality; growth is total employment change, while openings include growth and replacements rather than net new jobs.
What it cannot show：National projections do not equal actual recruitment or individual employment; distinguish growth from replacement openings.
According to O*NET 27-1021.00, this occupation designs and develops manufactured products such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys, combining artistic talent with research into product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing designs. Typical tasks include concept sketches and detailed drawings, design modification and refinement, feasibility assessment covering appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, and production costs, consultation with engineering, marketing, production, and sales departments and clients, submission for approval, research into production specifications and costs, and direction of model and sample production.
Graphic designers focus on visual communication and media design; interior designers on indoor spaces and experiences; fashion designers on clothing and accessories; art directors on creative direction and visual-team management; industrial engineers on production-system and process optimization; and manufacturing engineers on manufacturing processes and engineering. Work objects, qualifications, and responsibility boundaries differ; titles are not interchangeable.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
Fit signals | U.S. O*NET 27-1021.00 tasks and activities center on concept sketches and drawings, design modification and refinement, feasibility assessment, consultation with engineering, marketing, production, and sales departments and clients, submission for approval, research into production specifications and costs, and direction of model and sample production. Work is mainly indoors, requiring frequent team and client communication, creative thinking, and expression through drawings and specifications. The interest code is ARI (Artistic—Realistic—Investigative), and work styles emphasize innovation, achievement orientation, intellectual curiosity, and attention to detail. If you are willing to combine artistic expression with engineering constraints, production costs, and user needs and accept responsibility for design conclusions, these daily demands may align with your working style.
This checklist is for self-reflection only, not a hiring standard, ability score, or assessment of job competence, and does not constitute engineering, safety, compliance, or investment advice. This page covers specific U.S. occupation O*NET/SOC 27-1021.00, Commercial and Industrial Designers, called industrial designers here: designing and developing manufactured products such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys, combining artistic talent with research into product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing designs. Official scope: 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. U.S. wages and employment come from BLS OEWS 2025 and BLS 2024—2034 employment projections presented by O*NET (specific occupation 27-1021.00). Precise mainland Chinese occupational wages were not obtained and are recorded as a visible gap; the jurisdictions and engineering and safety systems are not interchangeable.
To assess your fit for industrial design, first complete a verifiable design exercise using public or simulated materials. Set a fictional product requirement, such as a portable insulated water bottle for children. Write a step-by-step process from understanding uses and users, researching materials and manufacturing processes, drawing concept sketches, selecting and refining a concept, and assessing feasibility in appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, and production cost, through making a model or sample and submitting designs and reports. Mark each checkpoint and possible problem: conflict between concepts and manufacturing processes, unmet safety or compliance requirements, costs over budget, or a design misread as production-ready or safety-certified. Check whether material and process feasibility, safety and compliance requirements, and cost and production limits are mandatory; whether engineering certification, safety conclusions, and production decisions beyond authority require consultation or referral; and whether the design process and rationale form reviewable records. Assess yourself through actual deliverables rather than an interest questionnaire alone.
Industrial designers' daily work can be divided into three strands: (1) concepts and communication—understanding uses and users and preparing concept sketches, detailed drawings, and blueprints; (2) evaluation and iteration—using working models to modify and refine designs and assess appearance, safety, function, serviceability, and cost feasibility; (3) consultation and implementation—consulting engineering, marketing, production, and sales departments and clients, submitting designs for approval, and directing model and sample production. All three share feasibility and standards requirements but produce different outputs: concepts and communication concern proposals, evaluation and iteration concern feasibility, and consultation and implementation concern production and clients.
Work centers on indoor design, with frequent team and client communication and repeated revisions, balancing creative expression with engineering and cost constraints.
Products involving safety or compliance requirements use this as a basis and require more assessment and validation.
Key boundaries: this page covers only specific occupation O*NET/SOC 27-1021.00, Commercial and Industrial Designers, called industrial designers here, centered on manufactured-product design. Adjacent occupations—graphic designers, interior designers, fashion designers, art directors, set and exhibit designers, industrial engineers, and manufacturing engineers—differ in work objects, qualifications, and responsibilities and cannot be treated as interchangeable based on titles alone. Engineering certification, safety conclusions, and production decisions involve authorization or responsibility boundaries and must be decided by qualified personnel under organizational systems and applicable regulations.
| Dimension | Main direction | Comparison direction |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Turn user needs and constraints into reviewable designs, drawings, and reports, with feasibility and cost assessment. | Graphic designers focus on visual communication and print or digital-media design and usually do not assess manufactured products' engineering feasibility and production. |
| Main objects and basis | The work concerns manufactured products, materials, and processes; it is based on user needs, production limitations, and safety standards. | Interior designers focus on indoor spaces and experience design and usually do not design manufactured products. |
Use drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or CAD equipment to prepare concept sketches, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints (O*NET task: prepare sketches and drawings).
Use working models to modify and refine designs to meet client specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends (O*NET task: modify and refine designs).
Assess design concepts based on appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs, market characteristics, and other factors (O*NET task: assess feasibility).
Consult engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments or clients to establish and evaluate manufactured-product design concepts, and present designs and reports for approval (O*NET tasks: consult; present for approval).
Research production specifications, costs, materials, and manufacturing methods, and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements (O*NET task: research production specifications and costs).
Direct and coordinate model or sample fabrication and preparation of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches (O*NET task: direct and coordinate fabrication).
Before joining, check each of the following items relating to O*NET/SOC 27-1021.00 and mainland China's qualification, engineering, and safety systems. Treat every unverified item as pending verification; recruitment publicity cannot replace these checks.
Basis: O*NET 27-1021.00 official definition and task list.
Basis: O*NET Job Zone Four and education information.
Basis: qualification, engineering, and safety rules in the job's jurisdiction and organizational systems.
Basis: job posting and organizational project and assessment systems.
| Produces visual communications, usually without product engineering-feasibility assessment |
| People interested in visual communication and media design |
| Interior designers (adjacent) | Interior-space planning and experience design | Produces indoor spaces and experiences rather than manufactured products | People interested in interior-space design |
|---|
| Fashion designers (adjacent) | Clothing and accessory design and collection development | Produces clothing and accessories, with different materials and processes | People interested in clothing and accessory design |
|---|
| Art directors (adjacent) | Set creative direction and manage visual teams | Produces creative direction and team management, usually without product engineering-feasibility responsibility | People interested in creative direction and team management |
|---|
| Industrial engineers (adjacent) | Optimize production systems, processes, and efficiency | Produces production-system and process improvements, usually without product-appearance design | People interested in production systems and efficiency optimization |
|---|
Conclusion | Industrial designers differ from adjacent occupations in work objects and outputs: this occupation centers on manufactured-product concepts, feasibility and production-cost assessment, and drawings and proposals; graphic designers focus on visual communication and print or digital media; interior designers focus on indoor spaces and experiences; fashion designers focus on clothing and accessories; art directors focus on creative direction and visual-team management; and industrial engineers focus on production-system and process optimization. Treating titles as interchangeable can misrepresent methods and responsibility boundaries.
Transition note | Methods, qualifications, and responsibilities differ across these directions. Transitions require corresponding training and experience; authority for engineering certification, safety conclusions, and production decisions cannot be carried over between roles.
Editorial analysis: evaluate assistance with concept variations, sketch rendering, material retrieval, and review documents. Check actual dimensions, materials and processes, safety, and costs; technology demonstrations do not establish manufacturability or production authorization.
Insufficient evidence: no generative AI adoption or productivity measurements were obtained for this occupation. Governance frameworks and tool capabilities do not demonstrate expanding industry adoption, established implementation standards, or widespread adoption.
Current BLS 2025—2035 Commercial and Industrial Designers SOC27-1021: employment rises from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements, not net new jobs or actual recruitment. The overall projection cannot be attributed to generative AI. This page has not obtained causal research on generative AI's net employment effects.
| Work direction | Task | Current changes | Human control points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare concept sketches and drawings | Concepts and drawing | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may assist with generating concept variations and sketches. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | User understanding, design-direction judgments, and final drawing communication. |
| Modify and refine designs | Design and iteration | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help compare variations and organize revision records. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Design choices and material and process judgments. |
| Assess design feasibility | Feasibility assessment | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may assist with parameter calculations and information organization. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Credible assessment of safety, function, serviceability, and costs. |
| Consult departments and clients | Consultation and review | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize presentation and review materials. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Responsibility for cross-department consultation, design decisions, and approval. |
| Research specifications and costs | Production and costs | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize specifications and cost estimates. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Judgment and responsibility for costs and production limitations. |
| Direct model and sample production | Production and coordination | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize fabrication instructions and schedules. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Model validation, sample confirmation, and fabrication coordination. |
| Investigate product characteristics and uses | Research and users | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize research materials. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Responsibility for user research and product-characteristic conclusions. |
Why can employment evidence produce different conclusions? Task exposure, organizational adoption, productivity changes, and job counts are four different measures with different samples, methods, and periods; they cannot be inferred from one another.
The following is an editorial comparison of task objects; assistance uses are candidates for trials. Actual conditions, data, and methods require checks. No occupation-specific measurements of relative acceleration or adoption sequence were obtained.
What AI mainly changesTools may assist with reference retrieval, concept variations, and drafts.
Still a human responsibilityUnderstanding user needs, determining design direction, and choosing between concepts.
What AI mainly changesEditorial trial recommendation: try assistance with organizing information, parameter calculations, and documents.
Still a human responsibilityMaterial and process feasibility, safety, and cost assessment.
What AI mainly changesTools may assist with communication materials and review documents.
Still a human responsibilityResponsibility for cross-department consultation, design decisions, and production handover.
Accountability must remain intact when digital tools enter design workflows. Every stage—needs confirmation, tool generation, human review, recordkeeping, and authorization—needs a clearly responsible person and traceable evidence.
Define design goals, product and user boundaries, permitted tools, and content that must not be sent externally: unpublished designs, client and supplier information, and cost data.
Limit tools to concept-variation generation, sketch and rendering assistance, information retrieval, and document organization. Do not let tools directly produce safety or compliance conclusions, feasibility determinations, or production decisions.
Responsible personnel must check designs, materials, and parameters item by item, confirm alignment with user needs and processes, and assess compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.
Record tools and versions, key inputs, changes, and their basis so the design process is reproducible and traceable for later reviews and production handover.
Define responsibility and authorization for design approval, product safety and compliance, and production launch. Check organizational responsibilities and applicable certification requirements by product category rather than assigning everything to competent authorities.
Tool-generated proposals or conclusions are treated as confirmed designs, carrying errors into development or production
Control method:Label generated content as provisional and check needs, materials, and processes item by item before use
Unpublished designs and client and supplier information are sent externally, creating commercial and compliance risks
Control method:Follow organizational information requirements and confirm authorization and the minimum necessary scope before use
Tool versions and inputs are not recorded, making the basis difficult to reconstruct in disputes
Control method:Consistently record tools, versions, and key inputs, and retain change histories
Incorrect structural, parameter, or material suggestions distort designs or costs
Control method:Check results against materials, processes, and standards; tool conclusions must not replace validation
Missing review leaves design responsibilities unclear, making accountability difficult when problems occur
Control method:Define review and responsible personnel in organizational workflows; determine product safety and compliance according to specific responsibilities and applicable certification requirements.
Use AI for reference retrieval, sketch variations, and rendering, but do not treat generated content as feasible designs. First build solid concept-development, drawing, and feasibility-assessment skills.
Use tools to reduce time spent exploring concepts, drawing, and organizing documents, while remaining responsible for designs, material and process feasibility, safety, and cost judgments.
Define digital-tool boundaries in design standards, including whether tools may support concept generation, rendering, and documentation, the data rules, and mechanisms for reviewing outputs and reverting when necessary.
Use tools for organization and preliminary assessment, but do not replace feasibility checks or safety and compliance judgments with automated results.
Insufficient evidence: no generative AI adoption rate, net employment effect, or replacement timetable was obtained for industrial designers. Editorial analysis: concept variations, sketch rendering, material retrieval, and review documents are candidates for trials; user needs, manufacturability, safety, and costs require verification.
Source:ILO task-exposure limitations and editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
O*NET supports concept, CAD, feasibility, and product-model tasks. Interest codes cannot establish that all employers have no scripting or programming requirement. Check target-product and tool requirements; tool use does not replace design evaluation.
Source:O*NET tasks; specific judgments are editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
Editorial analysis: concept variations, sketch rendering, information, and review documents may be trialed. Adoption sequence and relative acceleration have not been verified; visual content does not establish which tasks will be replaced first.
Source:O*NET tasks; specific judgments are editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
Current BLS 2025—2035 Commercial and Industrial Designers SOC27-1021: employment rises from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements, not net new jobs or actual recruitment. The overall projection cannot be attributed to generative AI.
Source:Current BLS overall projections, not AI causalityOriginal material ↗
Model outputs do not confer product certification, safety determinations, or production authorization. Check authorized parties by product category, organizational responsibilities, and jurisdiction; O*NET design tasks do not establish universal engineering or safety certificates.
Source:O*NET tasks; specific judgments are editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
No disappearance year or replacement probability was obtained for this occupation; task-exposure indices do not provide replacement timetables.
Source:ILO task-exposure limitations and editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
Editorial recommendation: first check user needs, materials and processes, feasibility, safety and costs, and consultation requirements, then trial concept and rendering tools in an authorized environment. No evidence establishes that any capability is irreplaceable or that efficiency universally improves.
Source:O*NET tasks; specific judgments are editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
Editorial recommendation: first check user needs, materials and processes, feasibility, safety and costs, and consultation requirements, then trial concept and rendering tools in an authorized environment. No evidence establishes that any capability is irreplaceable or that efficiency universally improves.
Insufficient evidence: no national wages specific to this occupation were obtained; the National Bureau of Statistics reports industry-category average wages without distinguishing occupations. This page does not substitute industry data.
Insufficient evidence: no national wages specific to this occupation were obtained; private-unit data are also reported by industry category and cannot be treated as industrial-designer wages.
Insufficient evidence: mainland China's public occupational statistics do not establish a national wage distribution precisely matching U.S. O*NET/SOC 27-1021.00, Commercial and Industrial Designers. The National Bureau of Statistics publishes industry-category average wages without distinguishing occupations; this page does not substitute industry averages, advertised pay, or U.S. data.
Mainland China section | Mainland Chinese industrial product-design roles have tasks similar to industrial designers; qualification, engineering, and safety systems follow relevant regulations and organizational systems. Public occupational statistics do not separately list a national wage distribution for this occupation: the National Bureau of Statistics publishes average urban-unit wages by industry category without distinguishing occupations. Under the evidence policy, this page records only statistical scope and visible gaps and does not substitute industry averages, advertised pay, or U.S. wages for exact occupational values.
| Educational background | Common roles | Notes and checking recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree (industrial design, product design, or related field) | Design assistant, product-design drafting | O*NET education survey: 68% bachelor's degree, 15% some college without a degree, and 12% associate's or another two-year degree. Job Zone Four is an occupational-group preparation level, not uniform years of experience for this occupation. Check Chinese recruitment requirements separately. |
| Relevant education with CAD and design-communication skills | Industrial designer, product designer | Editorial checking recommendation: target posting's education, CAD, and design-communication requirements; no uniform sample covering most Chinese roles was obtained. |
| Specialized field experience and design-management capabilities | Consumer electronics, home products, or transportation design | Specialized or lead design typically requires more project experience; job authorization and design-decision authority follow organizational systems. |
| Engineering or safety training (depending on product and role) | Design roles for products involving safety or compliance requirements | In mainland China, entry, safety, and compliance requirements for product-design roles follow relevant regulations and organizational systems. Specialized training depends on product category and organizational rules. Education, training, job authorization, and authority over design conclusions and production handover are different statuses. |
Broad reference: if the target employer belongs to manufacturing, NBS2025 tables 2 / 5 give non-private / private average annual wages of 113,594 / 76,055 yuan; for scientific research and technical services, 182,064 / 83,560 yuan. All are pretax national industry averages across all occupations, reported separately. Verify employer industry rather than inferring it from job titles. These are not industrial designers' median, starting pay, or take-home income; precise occupational wages remain unavailable.
O*NET2025 U.S. industries: manufacturing 34%, professional, scientific, and technical services 23%, wholesale trade 13%, and management of companies and enterprises 10%. Check Chinese employers' industries separately; U.S. shares cannot represent Chinese demand.
Some roles are in consumer goods and design consulting; staffing scale and assessment criteria differ, and this page does not supply substitute values.
Classifications and statistical scopes differ; no numerical conversion is made.
Insufficient evidence: no generative AI adoption rate, net employment effect, or replacement timetable was obtained for industrial designers. Editorial analysis: concept variations, sketch rendering, material retrieval, and review documents are candidates for trials; user needs, manufacturability, safety, and costs require verification.
| Official annual wages, not individual take-home pay |
| The median is the distribution's midpoint, not typical experience, individual starting pay, or a pay-growth path. |
| Top 10% | 90th-percentile annual pay: 139,770 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00) | Official annual wages, not individual take-home pay | The 90th percentile is a wage-distribution threshold and does not identify workers' education, experience, qualifications, or task composition. |
|---|
Pay · 10th percentile：10th-percentile annual pay: 53,460 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00)；Scope | U.S. 27-1021.00 national 10th-percentile annual pay (2025, presented by O*NET). Boundary | Lower distribution position, not starting pay or representative of any employer or region.
Pay · 25th percentile：25th-percentile annual pay: 66,450 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00)；Scope | U.S. 25th-percentile annual pay for this occupation (2025, presented by O*NET). Boundary | Lower quartile； industry and region affect actual income.
Pay · Median：Median annual pay: 83,910 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00)；OEWS measures pretax straight-time wage rates, including incentive payments such as production bonuses but excluding overtime premiums, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, and employer benefit costs. The median is the distribution's midpoint, not individual starting pay.
Pay · 75th percentile：75th-percentile annual pay: 109,050 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00)；Scope | U.S. 75th-percentile annual pay for this occupation (2025, presented by O*NET). Boundary | Upper quartile, usually related to industry, region, and specialized capabilities.
Pay · 90th percentile：90th-percentile annual pay: 139,770 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 27-1021.00)；Scope | U.S. 90th-percentile annual pay for this occupation (2025, presented by O*NET). Boundary | Upper distribution position, strongly affected by industry, region, and responsibilities； it does not represent most workers.
The median is the distribution's midpoint, not entry-level pay; percentiles do not identify years of experience.
BLS OEWS2025 national wages for this occupation, presented by O*NET. OEWS measures pretax straight-time wage rates, including incentive payments such as production bonuses but excluding overtime premiums, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, and employer benefit costs.
Editorial checking recommendation: target region, employer, actual duties, and pay-quotation scope; this page has not estimated each condition's pay effect.
Check wages, employment, and openings separately. Industry wages cover this occupation within the industry; national percentiles are not individual offers.
| Industry | Median wage for this occupation within the industry | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Management of companies and enterprises | 101,570 USD/year, 2025 median wage for this occupation within the industry | BLS2025 industry median for commercial and industrial designers, not an average across all occupations in the industry. Wholesale trade is separately 81,740 USD/year. |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 97,730 USD/year, 2025 median wage for this occupation within the industry | BLS2025 industry median for commercial and industrial designers, not an average across all occupations in the industry. Wholesale trade is separately 81,740 USD/year. |
| Specialized design services | 90,360 USD/year, 2025 median wage for this occupation within the industry | BLS2025 industry median for commercial and industrial designers, not an average across all occupations in the industry. Wholesale trade is separately 81,740 USD/year. |
| Manufacturing | 79,920 USD/year, 2025 median wage for this occupation within the industry | BLS2025 industry median for commercial and industrial designers, not an average across all occupations in the industry. Wholesale trade is separately 81,740 USD/year. |
Organization type—manufacturer, design company, or design consultancy—industry and product category, region, and project experience affect income levels and stability.
Lead-design responsibility and specialized field experience affect earnings potential and growth paths.
Region, living costs, industry, and project cycles affect workload and income. Regional median wages were not obtained and are recorded as a visible gap.
Current period: current BLS 2025—2035 Commercial and Industrial Designers SOC27-1021 projects employment rising from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements, not net new jobs or actual recruitment. The overall projection cannot be attributed to generative AI. The shared historical value above has unselected consumers； the scope conflict is retained this round.
Current period: current BLS 2025—2035 Commercial and Industrial Designers SOC27-1021 projects employment rising from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements, not net new jobs or actual recruitment. The overall projection cannot be attributed to generative AI. The shared historical value above has unselected consumers； the scope conflict is retained this round.
Current period: current BLS 2025—2035 Commercial and Industrial Designers SOC27-1021 projects employment rising from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements, not net new jobs or actual recruitment. The overall projection cannot be attributed to generative AI. The shared historical value above has unselected consumers； the scope conflict is retained this round.
O*NET occupational-interest baseline
Interest code ARIThe O*NET 27-1021.00 interest code is ARI (Artistic—Realistic—Investigative).
Understanding this interest code: ARI means Artistic (a preference for original visual creation and applying artistic principles to objects and materials), Realistic (a preference for hands-on realization and engineering work), and Investigative (a preference for research and investigation). It suggests a combination of artistic expression, hands-on realization, and inquiry rather than labeling people.
Which Holland interest types are closer to industrial design?
The O*NET 27-1021.00 interest code is ARI (Artistic—Realistic—Investigative); this assessment explores preferences for artistic creation, hands-on realization, and research and investigation.
Do not use it this way:Interest codes offer directional guidance, not ability or hiring conclusions; high preference scores alone cannot replace actual design experience.
Test my Holland career interestsWhich Big Five traits are more relevant to this work?
Observe innovation, thoroughness, and sustained revision behavior; O*NET work styles do not validate this page's Big Five test as a predictor of design performance.
Do not use it this way:Work styles are descriptive clues; actual task experience can help check preferences. No measurements of the magnitude of reduced fit were obtained.
View my Big Five personality traitsCan MBTI determine whether industrial design suits me?
No validation studies linking MBTI types to competence or performance in this occupation were obtained; observe needs understanding, drawings, and design choices rather than judging by type.
Do not use it this way:The skills list offers directional guidance, not an assessment of your current abilities; verify it through actual work evidence.
Understand my MBTI preferencesCan the Enneagram show whether this occupation suits me?
No validation studies linking the Enneagram to performance in this occupation were obtained; drawing and communication activities are not Enneagram-matching evidence.
Do not use it this way:Frequent activities do not necessarily mean monotonous work; together, they form the main flow of product design.
Explore my Enneagram patternsCan I become an industrial designer if I struggle with mathematics?
Assess mathematics foundations through dimensions, proportions, material parameters, cost estimates, and design comparisons. This page has no IQ or mathematics-grade hiring threshold; context proportions cannot establish a mathematics entry requirement.
Do not use it this way:Work-context figures are proportions reported by respondents, not predictions of an individual's work.
Understand my intelligence and reasoning performanceDo industrial designers need high emotional intelligence?
Listening to engineering, production, and client feedback and explaining design choices are needed. This page has no validated universal emotional-intelligence hiring threshold or performance evidence.
Do not use it this way:This self-assessment is editorially designed, not a hiring standard or ability score.
Understand my emotional intelligence abilitiesCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for industrial design (this occupation), examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe conflicts and constraints as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who find repeated revisions, cross-department negotiation, or cost pressure difficult to tolerate.
View related occupations:Industrial designers (this occupation)Closer fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for graphic design, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe conflicts and constraints as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who prefer physical-product design to visual communication.
View related occupations:Graphic DesignersCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for interior design, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe conflicts and constraints as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who prefer products to spatial design.
View related occupations:Interior DesignersCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for fashion design, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe conflicts and constraints as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People unwilling to make clothing materials and processes their main work.
View related occupations:Fashion DesignersCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for art direction, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe conflicts and constraints as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People unwilling to accept team-management and creative-decision responsibility.
View related occupations:Art DirectorsCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for industrial engineering, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe conflicts and constraints as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who prefer product design to process optimization.
View related occupations:Industrial EngineersNo personality label guarantees suitability; observe whether you can turn needs into designs, accept process constraints, and revise repeatedly.
Introversion is not disqualifying; clear design presentations, listening to departmental feedback, and explaining choices remain necessary.
Extraversion does not guarantee performance; check accurate communication of dimensions and costs and acceptance of review feedback.
No validation studies establishing a particular MBTI type as best suited to this occupation were obtained.
O*NET interests ARI: Artistic, Realistic, Investigative; occupational interests are not individual ability or hiring conclusions.
No validation studies showing personality tests predict performance in this occupation were obtained; work styles cannot establish this page's test validity.
Assess mathematics foundations through dimensions, proportions, material parameters, cost estimates, and design comparisons. This page has no IQ or mathematics-grade hiring threshold; context proportions cannot establish a mathematics entry requirement.
Listening to engineering, production, and client feedback and explaining design choices are needed. This page has no validated universal emotional-intelligence hiring threshold or performance evidence.
No validation studies linking the Enneagram to performance in this occupation were obtained; drawing and communication activities are not Enneagram-matching evidence.
Editorial recommendation: use fictional needs to prepare sketches, material and cost comparisons, and model-validation explanations, comparing your preferences for physical products, visual communication, and spatial design.
Reduce risk：Check materials, processes, and costs early in design and retain assessment records
Basis：O*NET 27-1021.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Incorrect materials, structures, or parameter settings
Main roles：Industrial designers, engineering personnel
Possible consequences：Unmanufacturable products or functional failure
Reduce risk：Check materials and parameters against standards and validate through models or samples if needed
Basis：O*NET 27-1021.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Unmet safety or compliance requirements
Main roles：Industrial designers, compliance lead
Possible consequences：Product safety risks and compliance issues
Reduce risk：Identify applicable product safety and compliance requirements and confirm authorized parties according to organizational responsibilities, product certification, and jurisdiction.
Basis：Product Quality Law of the People's Republic of China (current text) · Work Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (current text)
Typical scenario：External disclosure of design documents and client information
Main roles：Industrial designers, information-security lead
Possible consequences：Commercial and compliance risks
Reduce risk：Follow organizational information requirements and confirm authorization and the minimum necessary scope before use
Basis：O*NET 27-1021.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Designs misread as production-ready or certified
Main roles：Industrial designers, supervisors
Possible consequences：Conclusions beyond authority create accountability problems
Reduce risk：Define design-document boundaries; check actual organizational authorization, product rules, and authorized parties separately for production and certification.
Basis：O*NET 27-1021.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Inadequate cross-department consultation and review
Main roles：Industrial designers, project managers
Possible consequences：Deviation from needs or delayed delivery
Reduce risk：Define review milestones, revision records, and responsible personnel
Basis：O*NET 27-1021.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
| Career direction | Starting tasks | Evidence you can prepare | Work samples you can show without experience | Difference from this occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial designers (this occupation) | Prepare sketches and drawings and assist with design refinement and assessment under guidance | Design courses and portfolio, drawing and model samples | A step-by-step design procedure and feasibility assessment | Centers on manufactured-product design and feasibility assessment |
| Graphic designers (adjacent) | Create visual communications, branding, and media designs | Design and layout portfolio | A visual-communication proposal | Produces visual communication, without product engineering-feasibility assessment |
| Interior designers (adjacent) | Participate in spatial planning and interior-design proposals | Space and materials portfolio | An interior-space proposal | Produces indoor spaces and experiences rather than manufactured products |
| Fashion designers (adjacent) | Participate in clothing and accessory design and sample making | Fashion portfolio and sample-making records | A fashion-design explanation | Produces clothing and accessories, with different materials and processes |
| Art directors (adjacent) | Assist with setting creative direction and visual proposals | Creative and visual materials | A creative-direction explanation | Produces creative direction and team management, without engineering-feasibility assessment |
Check target Chinese employers' education, CAD, design, and product requirements in postings; no sample covering most roles was obtained.
Check education, tools, and design capabilities separately; their predictive validity for competence has not been compared. Capability records do not replace authorization.
Related U.S. roles follow employer and product requirements; mainland Chinese qualification, engineering, and safety requirements follow local rules and organizational systems.
Unpublished designs, client and supplier information, and cost data must be processed and retained within the minimum necessary scope under organizational requirements.
Relevant work styles include innovation, achievement orientation, intellectual curiosity, and attention to detail; these explain working styles, not hiring standards.
Core skills are active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing; transferable skills include complex problem solving, judgment and decision-making, operations analysis, coordination, and persuasion.
A simulated set of material and process options with cost and feasibility examples.
A blank concept-sketch and drawing template.
A blank feasibility and cost-assessment checklist.
For three supplied problems—concept/process conflicts, costs over budget, and unmet safety or compliance requirements—describe identifying features and responses.
Specify what exceeds your personal authority: engineering certification, safety conclusions, and production decisions.
For each problem, explain the identification basis and response consequences; describe risks of compressed or omitted steps.
Finish with a reflection: how would you choose and explain your rationale if user needs and cost constraints conflicted?
Do not involve real clients, real products, or identifiable commercial data.
Mark whether each step was completed independently or under someone else's guidance.
Mark steps involving safety, compliance, and costs that must follow standards rather than personal decisions.
Record review comments, timing, and basis for later reflection.
Show the full chain from understanding needs through feasibility assessment to design delivery, not only renderings.
Exclude identifiable information about real clients or products and state the basis and assumptions.
Explain which material, process, or cost check tool outputs underwent before use; label illustrative values as examples.
| Stage | Points that may be checked | Observable evidence | Boundary note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resume and initial screening | Design-project experience, tool skills, and portfolio | Portfolio, drawing and model samples | Self-assessments and coursework cannot replace organizational assessments and job authorization |
| Interview and scenario questions | Needs understanding, design choices, and feasibility assessment | Scenario responses and portfolio explanations | One scenario interview cannot replace a complete assessment of design and evaluation capabilities |
| Design-capability assessment |
Record observed materials and processes, safety and compliance, and cost and production limitations.
Write the real-world cost you find hardest to accept and assess whether you can tolerate it.
List key requirements according to standards: materials and processes, safety and compliance, cost and production limitations, and review and revision records.
Write response and escalation plans for two typical risks: external disclosure of design documents and designs misread as production-ready.
Identify at least two deviations against design requirements and record corrective actions.
| Qualification or preparation item | Applicable group | Role in this occupation | Is it generally required? | Requirements for obtaining it | Approximate investment | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or above (industrial design, product design, or related field) | Entry-level and design roles | Check the target organization's education requirements | Check Chinese postings; U.S. education-survey data are listed separately | Complete relevant specialized studies | According to program duration | Education does not guarantee job authorization or design-decision authority |
Typical responsibilities：Prepare sketches and drawings and assist with design refinement under guidance.
Evidence for advancement：Submit sketch and drawing samples and obtain mentor feedback.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; design and drawing foundations are needed.
Next step：Work toward independently completing product designs.
Typical responsibilities：Independently complete product designs and feasibility and cost assessments.
Evidence for advancement：Submit designs and assessment records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; safety-related products require relevant knowledge.
Next step：Learn to lead complex product designs and cross-department projects.
Typical responsibilities：Lead complex product designs and mentor newcomers.
Evidence for advancement：Submit complex cases and design records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; experience and specialized capabilities are usually needed.
Next step：Turn experience into reusable design standards and materials.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate design directions and systems.
Evidence for advancement：Submit design-direction and assessment records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational governance requirements.
Next step：Participate in organizational product and brand strategy.
Typical responsibilities：Assist with organizing materials, processes, and production requirements.
Evidence for advancement：Submit material and process organization records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; material and process foundations are needed.
Next step：Learn to independently assess manufacturability.
Typical responsibilities：Assess manufacturability and coordinate with engineering and production.
Evidence for advancement：Submit manufacturability assessments and coordination records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational and product requirements.
Next step：Participate in optimizing structural and process designs.
Typical responsibilities：Lead structural and process designs and drive implementation.
Evidence for advancement：Submit proposals and validation records.
Determined by organizational and competent-authority requirements.
Typical responsibilities：Assist with organizing design plans and review materials.
Evidence for advancement：Submit plans and review records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; design and communication foundations are needed.
Next step：Learn to independently manage design projects.
Typical responsibilities：Manage design-project schedules, reviews, and delivery.
Evidence for advancement：Submit project and review records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; design experience is usually needed.
Next step：Participate in design strategy and team development.
Typical responsibilities：Participate in design strategy, user research, and brand direction.
Evidence for advancement：Submit strategy and research records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational systems.
Promote improvements in design systems and brand direction.
Can prepare sketches and drawings and assist with design refinement and feasibility assessment under guidance, following standards and accepting feedback.
Can independently design products, assess feasibility and costs, and submit design reports.
Can lead complex product designs or cross-department projects, mentor newcomers, and produce verifiable design records.
Responsible at organizational level for design directions, systems, and decisions, accepting accountability.
United States · Specific occupation 27-1021.00
2,800/year
Annual job openings
Overall employment projections do not establish AI causality; growth is total employment change, while openings include growth and replacements rather than net new jobs.
What it cannot show：National projections do not equal actual recruitment or individual employment; distinguish growth from replacement openings.
Mainland China · No precise occupational scope available; only industry-category average wages (industry proxy)
Insufficient evidence
Mainland China occupational wages
The National Bureau of Statistics reports industry-category average wages without distinguishing occupations, so industrial-designer occupational values cannot be derived.
What it cannot show：Industry proxy; no substitution using industry averages, advertised pay, or U.S. data.
These are relationships between adjacent capabilities, not automatic promotions or transitions without additional learning.
Transferable：Visual-expression and design-tool capabilities.
Needs development：Needs development: branding, layout, and media-design methods.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Spatial and material aesthetics foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: spatial planning and interior materials and processes.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Form and material aesthetics foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: garment structure, fabrics, and sample making.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Creative and visual-direction judgment.
Needs development：Needs development: creative management and team leadership.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Form and spatial-expression foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: exhibit structures and scene creation.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Product and production foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: production-system and process-optimization methods.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Material and process foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: manufacturing processes and engineering methods.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Structural and material foundations.
Needs development：Develop mechanical engineering design and analysis methods; check specific permits or signing requirements by activity and jurisdiction.
View occupation detailsBLS OEWS 2025 (presented by O*NET on the 27-1021.00 page, specific-occupation scope): median annual pay of 83,910 USD and median hourly pay of 40.34 USD; 10 / 25 / 75 / 90 percentile pay of 53,460 / 66,450 / 109,050 / 139,770 USD/year. The 2024—2034 employment outlook projects average growth (3%), about 2,500 annual openings, approximately 30,600 employed in 2024 and 31,600 in 2034. All figures cover specific occupation 27-1021.00.
No national wages precisely specific to this occupation are available. The National Bureau of Statistics publishes average urban-unit wages by industry category without distinguishing occupations, so industrial-designer occupational values cannot be derived. This page records the gap under the evidence policy rather than filling it with substitutes.
O*NET work-context responses report email daily, 100%; face-to-face discussions daily, 100%; controlled indoor environments daily, 94%; teamwork rated extremely important, 77%; telephone conversations daily, 70%; typical workweeks over 40 hours, 75%; and exactness or accuracy rated extremely important, 58%. Main risks include undetected design/process or cost conflicts, material or parameter errors, unmet safety or compliance requirements, external disclosure of design documents and client information, designs misread as production-ready or certified, and inadequate cross-department consultation and review.
It will affect information-processing and draft-generation tasks rather than replace user understanding, material and process feasibility, and design decisions. Generative AI may assist with concept variations, sketches and rendering, information and material retrieval, and document organization. People remain responsible for understanding user needs, material and process feasibility, safety and compliance assessment, cross-department consultation, and production handover. This page provides no replacement probability, adoption rate, or timetable.
O*NET places this occupation (27-1021.00) in Job Zone Four (considerable preparation), with an SVP range of 7.0 to below 8.0. The education survey reports 68% requiring a bachelor's degree, 15% some college without a degree, and 12% an associate's or another two-year degree, typically with several years of related experience or on-the-job training. Related mainland Chinese roles generally require industrial- or product-design-related education and CAD and design-communication skills.
This page does not invent a universal certificate list. Education, training, engineering or safety qualifications, job authorization, and authority over design conclusions and production handover are different statuses: training does not equal certification, and certification does not authorize design conclusions, production release, or certification decisions. Mainland China follows current regulations and competent-authority requirements.
Main risks include undetected conflicts between designs and manufacturing processes or costs, incorrect material or parameter settings, unmet safety or compliance requirements, external disclosure of design documents and client information, designs misread as production-ready or certified, and inadequate cross-department consultation and review. Priorities are traceable design rationale, assessments, and revisions, and consultation or referral of matters beyond authority.
U.S. specific occupation 27-1021.00 is projected to show average growth (3%) in 2024—2034, with about 2,500 annual openings; the mainland China section records the wage gap. Possible directions include visual communication (graphic design), interior design, fashion design, creative management (art direction), exhibit design, industrial engineering, and manufacturing engineering. Each requires corresponding training or qualifications; transferable capabilities do not mean automatic promotion.
Author verification in this round: O*NET 27-1021.00 definition, tasks, interests, and actually available fields; wages and employment checked separately against current official periods. 2025 median wages for this specific occupation are 83,910 USD/year and 40.34 USD/hour. BLS2025—2035 employment rises from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements. China's NBS2025 is only a conditional industry reference; AI adoption effects, test validity, and recruitment conditions were not obtained. Historical registrations and old shared facts in unselected modules are separately listed as scope conflicts.
This round checked O*NET Updated2026, all specific-occupation 2025 wage percentiles, industry medians and 2025—2035 projections at the current BLS industrial-designers entry point, NBS2025, and OEWS definitions on 2026-10-11. Shared old-period facts and old OOH links have unselected consumers; scope conflicts are retained.
Source card | Source register: this page registers the O*NET 27-1021.00 occupational profile, details, national wages, industry distribution, hot technologies, certification directory, and national training entries; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS 2025), employment projections, and methodology; National Bureau of Statistics average annual wages of employees in urban units; the Product Quality Law, Work Safety Law, and Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China; the ILO generative AI and jobs occupational exposure index; the NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework; and entries for adjacent occupations such as graphic, interior, and fashion designers.
Usage limitations：U.S. occupational description, without mainland China's qualification, engineering, and safety systems.
Usage limitations：Specific-occupation scope, not individual employment conclusions.
Usage limitations：Specific-occupation scope; cannot be attributed to generative AI.
Usage limitations：Refer to the original methodology document.
Usage limitations：Industry-category scope without occupational distinctions; this occupation is not listed separately.
Usage limitations：Current regulatory texts and competent-authority requirements apply.
Usage limitations：Refer to the original law and competent-authority interpretations.
Usage limitations：Current regulatory texts and competent-authority requirements apply.
Usage limitations：U.S. industry distribution; does not establish a mainland China mapping.
Usage limitations：Occupational description, not design specifications or safety standards.
Usage limitations：The certification directory does not replace organizational and competent-authority requirements for job authorization and product certification.
Usage limitations：Task exposure does not mean automatic job disappearance or a specific adoption rate.
Usage limitations：Internal scope rules, not an external factual source.
Usage limitations：Not design specifications or safety standards.
Usage limitations：Technology mentions do not establish capability, adoption, or automation levels.
Usage limitations：A training search entry point does not replace education and qualification requirements.
Usage limitations：Editorial design, not universal employer requirements or hiring standards.
Usage limitations：Occupational description, not a prediction of an individual's work.
Usage limitations：Adjacent-occupation scope, not this occupation.
Usage limitations：Adjacent-occupation scope, not this occupation.
Usage limitations：Adjacent-occupation scope, not this occupation.
Usage limitations：Database and classification information do not constitute authorization.
Usage limitations：Maps titles to SOC codes; does not establish permission.
Usage limitations：Specific-occupation scope; excludes benefits and bonuses; percentiles do not equal starting pay or experience levels.
Usage limitations：Employment trends cover the specific U.S. occupation; this page's employment outlook uses the same scope.
Usage limitations：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Current scope: 2025 median wages for this specific occupation are 83,910 USD/year and 40.34 USD/hour. BLS2025—2035 employment rises from 35,400 to 36,300, growth of 2%, with 2,800 annual openings including growth and replacements. U.S. statistical subjects and China's industry proxy are separate; wage percentiles are not starting pay, and openings are not net new jobs. Shared old-period facts still have unselected consumers; the entire page cannot be claimed to use one period. Precise Chinese occupational wages, generative AI adoption and causality, and personality-test validity were not obtained.
Big Five Personality · MBTI · Intelligence and Reasoning · Emotional Intelligence
| Core process | Confirm needs—research and develop concepts—draw—assess feasibility—validate models—review and deliver, alongside production coordination. | Fashion designers focus on clothing and accessories, with different materials, processes, and evaluation criteria. |
|---|
| Main outputs | Concept sketches and drawings, design documents and specifications, feasibility and cost-assessment records, models and samples, review and revision records, and engineering and production handover materials. | Art directors focus on creative direction and visual-team management, which cannot substitute for this occupation's engineering-feasibility assessment. |
|---|
| Responsible party | Individuals are responsible for design feasibility and communication and must consult or refer engineering certification, safety conclusions, and production decisions beyond authority under organizational systems. | Industrial engineers are responsible for optimizing production systems and processes and usually do not perform product-appearance and user-centered design. |
|---|
| Authority and approval | Engineering certification, safety conclusions, and regulatory matters require decisions by qualified personnel or competent authorities under organizational systems. | Decisions beyond an individual's professional or responsibility scope cannot be made unilaterally. |
|---|
| Limits of conclusions | This page does not promise any organization's recruitment, licensing, or hiring outcomes. | Qualification, engineering, and safety systems differ between the United States and mainland China and must be checked separately; they are not interchangeable. |
|---|
Basis: organizational design standards and safety systems.
Basis: organizational occupational-health and protection requirements.
Entry commonly occurs through manufacturers, design companies, and design consultancies; project-based work and cross-department collaboration are common.
Mainland Chinese roles vary by industry, product category, and region; assessment criteria follow organizational announcements.
| Concept development, drawing, materials, and cost assessment |
| Design tasks and review records |
| One assessment does not establish the ability to independently lead and implement designs |
| Onboarding and probation | Compliance with design and review procedures, cross-department collaboration, and records | Design records and documented reviews and revisions | Authority over design conclusions and production handover follows organizational systems and announcements |
|---|
Record their objections and your responses; do not avoid constraints or counterexamples.
Use this to decide whether to continue investing in this direction and write the specific question to verify next.
| Design-tool and drawing capabilities (CAD, rendering, and graphics software) |
|---|
| Design and drafting roles |
| Provides foundations for communicating drawings and proposals |
| Relatively common |
| Course training or project practice |
| Insufficient evidence: specific course or project investment was not verified |
| Tool skills do not replace feasibility and cost judgments |
| Material and process knowledge | Product-design roles | Supports manufacturability judgments | Relatively common | Build through courses or collaboration with production departments | Insufficient evidence: specific course or project investment was not verified | Knowledge does not replace engineering and safety confirmation |
|---|
| Feasibility and cost-assessment capabilities | Design and decision-making roles | Supports design choices and production handover | Relatively common | Practice in projects and undergo review | Insufficient evidence: specific course or project investment was not verified | Assessment does not replace certification and compliance conclusions |
|---|
| Engineering or safety training (depending on product requirements) | Roles involving products with safety or compliance requirements | Clarifies boundaries for handling product safety and compliance requirements | Depends on product category | Attend training required by the organization or competent authority | Insufficient evidence: specific course or project investment was not verified | Training does not automatically confer product certification, safety determinations, or production authorization; check actual products and responsibilities |
|---|
| Design-management training | Management and lead-design roles | Develops team and project coordination capabilities | Depends on the role | Take coordination responsibilities in projects or attend management training | Insufficient evidence: specific course or project investment was not verified | Training does not replace management responsibility |
|---|
Next step：Promote production and quality-system improvements.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate product R&D and design implementation.
Evidence for advancement：Submit R&D and assessment records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational governance requirements.
Next step：Participate in organizational product strategy and planning.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate design teams and creative direction.
Evidence for advancement：Submit team and creative-assessment records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational governance requirements.
Next step：Participate in organizational product and brand decisions.
