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What is an industrial designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Abby Guido
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Industrial designers are responsible for making products such as furniture, cars, home appliances, and toys. They develop concepts for the manufactured products and create physical prototypes of the designs. They also examine materials and manufacturing requirements to determine production costs while presenting designs and demonstrating the prototypes to clients for approval. Industrial designers earn a median sum of $68,000 annually or $33 per hour.

Industrial designers consider many factors when developing new product concepts. They combine art, business, and engineering to make products that people use every day. Additionally, they use computer software to develop virtual models of different designs. As such, they need to be very proficient in the use of computer systems and applications. They also regularly present design work to various decision-makers.

Industrial designers mostly hold a bachelor's degree in graphic design, industrial design, product design, or other related fields. Some employers prefer to hire candidates with solid graphic design skills, sketching, CADD (computer-aided design and drafting), and 3D modeling.

What general advice would you give to an Industrial Designer?

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.
ScoreIndustrial DesignerUS Average
Salary
5.0

Avg. Salary $63,384

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.5

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%

Asian 10.07%

Black or African American 1.12%

Hispanic or Latino 7.28%

Unknown 4.48%

White 76.67%

Gender

female 18.60%

male 81.40%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress Level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Industrial Designer career paths

Key steps to become an industrial designer

  1. Explore industrial designer education requirements

    Most common industrial designer degrees

    Bachelor's

    83.4 %

    Master's

    7.3 %

    Associate

    6.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific industrial designer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Industrial Design9.59%
    Solidworks9.54%
    CAD7.58%
    Sketch5.76%
    KeyShot5.49%
  3. Complete relevant industrial designer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New industrial designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an industrial designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real industrial designer resumes.
  4. Research industrial designer duties and responsibilities

    • Produce, clean, and manage 3Dprints (SLA) for multiple brands' form studies.
    • Lead front-end QA of all major releases, filing, prioritizing and fixing bugs myself.
    • Streamline product development process by introducing state-of-the-art prototyping and model making techniques.
    • Create 3-D files and renderings for packaging and display by SolidWorks and KeyShot.
  5. Prepare your industrial designer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your industrial designer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an industrial designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Industrial Designer Resume templates

    Build a professional Industrial Designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Industrial Designer resume.
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
    Industrial Designer Resume
  6. Apply for industrial designer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an industrial designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Industrial Designer Job

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Average industrial designer salary

The average Industrial Designer salary in the United States is $63,384 per year or $30 per hour. Industrial designer salaries range between $43,000 and $92,000 per year.

Average Industrial Designer Salary
$63,384 Yearly
$30.47 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do industrial designers rate their job?

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Industrial Designer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

What I like most about a designer is doing work with Fonts designing projects designing


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

It is something I enjoy! Something I’m good at! Something I could do as hobby and get paid for

Cons

That I don’t get to do it more often


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Its Unique to Be a Museum Designer after designing many Houses, Restaurants, Offices, Showrooms since 1999. Being Co-Convener of INTACH (Indian National Trust For Art & Culture Heritage)


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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