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Hourly Wage for Industrial Designer I Salary in the United States

How much does an Industrial Designer I make hourly?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for an Industrial Designer I in the United States is $32, which translates to an annual salary of about $66,940.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $38 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $29 to $35 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $26 per hour

Key Factors That Influence Industrial Designer I Salaries

An Industrial Designer I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Industrial Designer I Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Industrial Designer I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Industrial Designer I (0-2 years): $66,940
  • Industrial Designer II (2-4 years): $79,664
  • Industrial Designer III (4-7 years): $97,832
  • Industrial Designer IV (7+ years): $123,834
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Industrial Designer I0-2 years$66,940
Industrial Designer II2-4 years$79,664
Industrial Designer III4-7 years$97,832
Industrial Designer IV7+ years$123,834

Top Paying Cities for Industrial Designer I

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $84,431
  • San Francisco: $83,507
  • Oakland: $81,747

What Skills Can Increase an Industrial Designer I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Collaboration (Mentioned in 4.05% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
  • Product Development (Mentioned in 2.27% Job Postings): Overseeing the creation of new products or improvement of the performance, cost, or quality of existing products to achieve business goals.
  • Design Thinking (Mentioned in 1.61% Job Postings): Developing software solutions to understand and target customer needs in a repetitive process.
Skills Demand Percentage
Collaboration 4.05%
Product Development 2.27%
Design Thinking 1.61%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Industrial Designer I's salary.

  • Product Engineering: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Collaborating: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
  • UI Design: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Product Engineering $75,642
13%
Collaborating $74,973
12%
UI Design $74,303
11%

Industrial Designer I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Industrial Designer I salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $74,935. While startup companies pay approximate $63,394.

Industrial Designer I Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $63,394
Growth Stage 51~500 $67,046
Established 501~5000 $72,363
Enterprise 5000+ $74,935

Industrial Designer I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Industrial Designer I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Industrial Designer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Industrial Designer I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Industrial Designer I

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services$87,022$42.030%
Energy & Utilities$83,675$40.025%
Internet$80,328$39.020%
Pharmaceuticals$80,328$39.020%
Aerospace & Defense$73,634$35.010%

How Education impacts an Industrial Designer I's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Industrial Designer I enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Industrial Designer I with a Bachelor's Degree is between $64,511 and $68,365.

Industrial Designer I Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Industrial Designer I
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 7.3%
High School 7.3%
Associates 10.6%
Bachelors 71.4%
Masters 10.0%
Doctorate 0.7%

Industrial Designer I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Industrial Designer I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$60,607
Average $66,940/year
$73,283
$5,051
Average $5,578/month
$6,107
$1,166
Average $1,287/week
$1,409
$29
Average $32/hour
$35
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $73,283 $6,107 $1,409 $35
Average $66,940 $5,578 $1,287 $32
25th Percentile $60,607 $5,051 $1,166 $29

Most common benefits for Industrial Designer I

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Industrial Designer I

Here are companies hiring for Industrial Designer I and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Industrial Designer I

1. What are the responsibilities of Industrial Designer I?

Designs and develops industrial product concepts and specifications that reflect aesthetic, functional, and manufacturing requirements. Researches and analyzes the intended use of products and user preferences. Translates user insights and market requirements into sketches, prototypes, and CAD models to visually communicate the design concept. Collaborates with stakeholders like engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and suppliers to produce final designs that meet safety, manufacturability, timeline, and cost constraints. Experienced in using a variety of 3D/2D CAD rendering, prototyping, and animation tools. Typically requires a bachelor's degree in industrial design. Typically reports to a manager. Work is closely managed. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Typically requires 0-2 years of related experience.

2. What are the skills of Industrial Designer I

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Collaboration: Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.

2.)

Product Development: Overseeing the creation of new products or improvement of the performance, cost, or quality of existing products to achieve business goals.

3.)

Design Thinking: Developing software solutions to understand and target customer needs in a repetitive process.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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