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The differences between industrial designers and lighting designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an industrial designer and a lighting designer. Additionally, an industrial designer has an average salary of $63,384, which is higher than the $53,542 average annual salary of a lighting designer.
The top three skills for an industrial designer include industrial design, solidworks and CAD. The most important skills for a lighting designer are revit, photoshop, and light fixtures.
| Industrial Designer | Lighting Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $63,384 | $53,542 |
| Hourly rate | $30.47 | $25.74 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 54,012 | 46,203 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Industrial Designers work with clients to conceptualize product ideas. They collaborate with clients in creating product blueprints, samples, and mock-ups. Industrial Designers create drafts based on the clients' ideas, keeping in mind the different requirements as well as aesthetic qualities that the clients envision. They usually specialize in a specific product category such as toys, furniture, and cars, among others. Industrial Designers also collaborate with other professionals such as manufacturers, materials experts, safety experts, and other product makers to ensure the feasibility and the product safety of the concepts they come up with.
Lighting Designers are responsible for developing and implementing electrical and lighting systems. They are responsible for conducting site assessment and analysis, liaise with clients and engineers to determine technical specifications, design lighting plans, create budget reports for a project initiated, track progress targets, install electrical and lighting systems and ensures installation adheres to local energy regulation as well as building codes. Lighting designers work in commercial, industrial, or residential spaces and must demonstrate computer software proficiency such as AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suites.
Industrial designers and lighting designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Designer | Lighting Designer | |
| Average salary | $63,384 | $53,542 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $92,000 | Between $34,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Rivian |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an industrial designer and a lighting designer in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Designer | Lighting Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Theatre |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between industrial designers' and lighting designers' demographics:
| Industrial Designer | Lighting Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |