Product Design Intern Salary in the United States

How much does a Product Design Intern make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Product Design Intern in the United States is $79,373 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, a Product Design Intern's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $88,102
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,292 to $83,942
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,576

Key Factors That Influence Product Design Intern Salaries

A Product Design Intern'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 Product Design Intern Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Product Design Intern'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $79,657
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $90,353
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $112,952
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $137,917
  • Expert (over 8 years): $161,560
Levels Salary
Product D... Level Product Design Intern$79,657
Product D... Level Product Design Intern$90,353
Product D... Level Product Design Intern$112,952
Product D... Level Product Design Intern$137,917
Product D... Level Product Design Intern$161,560

Top Paying Cities for Product Design Interns

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: $100,114
  • San Francisco: $99,018
  • Oakland: $96,931

What Skills Can Increase a Product Design Intern's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 17.02% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 0.88% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
  • CNC (Mentioned in 0.49% Job Postings): Numerical control is the automated control of machining tools by means of a computer. A CNC machine processes a piece of material to meet specifications by following coded programmed instructions
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 17.02%
Continuous Improvement 0.88%
CNC 0.49%

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 a Product Design Intern's salary.

  • Square: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Networking: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Brand Design: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Square $83,342
5%
Networking $83,342
5%
Brand Design $82,548
4%

Product Design Intern Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Product Design Intern roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Internet and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 15% above the average. In contrast, Product Design Intern positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Product Design Intern as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Product Design Intern

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Internet$91,279$44.015%
Pharmaceuticals$88,898$43.012%
Biotechnology$87,311$42.010%
Energy & Utilities$85,723$41.08%
Aerospace & Defense$83,342$40.05%

How Education impacts a Product Design Intern's Salary?

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

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Product Design Intern with a Bachelor's Degree is between $76,251 and $80,097).

Product Design Intern Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Product Design Intern
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 5.3%
Associates 10.6%
Bachelors 56.2%
Masters 25.2%
Doctorate 2.5%

Product Design Intern Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Product Design Intern'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 September 01, 2026
$75,292
Average $79,373/year
$83,942
$6,274
Average $6,614/month
$6,995
$1,448
Average $1,526/week
$1,614
$36
Average $38/hour
$40
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $83,942 $6,995 $1,614 $40
Average $79,373 $6,614 $1,526 $38
25th Percentile $75,292 $6,274 $1,448 $36

Most common benefits for Product Design Intern

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

Common company salaries for Product Design Intern

Here are companies hiring for Product Design Intern and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Product Design Intern

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Product Design Intern?

The Internet industry offers the highest average compensation for Product Design Intern roles, with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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