Creates the look and feel of cars, trucks and motorcycles, from early sketches and digital models to the final shapes of exteriors and interiors. BLS does not publish separate figures for commercial and industrial designers; it counts them within commercial and industrial designer (SOC 27-1021), whose median pay is $83,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-1021
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Automotive Designer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $83,910a year, or $40.34/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $53KTop 10% $140K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.4%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,80035,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202535.4K
- Projected 203536.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 35.4K Projected 2035 36.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school4.3%
- Certificate0.3%
- Some college15.2%
- Associate's12.3%
- Bachelor's67.9%
Highest education held by commercial and industrial designers Segment Value High school 4.3% Certificate 0.3% Some college 15.2% Associate's 12.3% Bachelor's 67.9%
Also advertised as: Car Designer, Transportation Designer, Exterior Designer, Interior Designer (Automotive), Vehicle Designer.
Pay
How much do Commercial and Industrial Designers make?
Every automotive designer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$83,910
Middle half earn $66,450 to $109,050
- 10th
- $53,460
- 25th
- $66,450
- 75th
- $109,050
- 90th
- $139,770
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $53,460 |
| 25th | $66,450 |
| Median | $83,910 |
| 75th | $109,050 |
| 90th | $139,770 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $83,910
- Median hourly wage
- $40.34/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $93,260
- People employed
- 33,490
Versus all US occupations
At $83,910, Commercial and Industrial Designers earn 65% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $32,930 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 23% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $139,770 or more while the bottom 10% earn $53,460, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 64% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Kansas pays the most at $104,870, and still leads at $116,434 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Commercial and Industrial Designers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kansas | $104,870 | $116,434 | 260 |
| 2Michigan | $102,160 | $106,177 | 2,930 |
| 3Massachusetts | $101,720 | $96,183 | 1,240 |
| 4Rhode Island | $101,140 | $98,885 | 190 |
| 5California | $100,770 | $91,013 | 5,300 |
| 6Louisiana | $98,040 | $111,148 | 130 |
| 7Minnesota | $94,370 | $95,690 | 590 |
| 8Washington | $94,280 | $88,101 | 340 |
| 9Arkansas | $92,540 | $106,445 | 230 |
| 10Georgia | $91,360 | $94,877 | 360 |
Job outlook
Is Automotive Designer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Commercial and Industrial Designers | +2.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Commercial and Industrial Designers to change 2.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,800 openings are projected each year, 7.9% of the 35,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Automotive Designer
Nearly every automotive designer holds a bachelor's degree in transportation or industrial design from a program with strong industry ties. ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena offers a BS in Transportation Design with exterior, interior and alternative transportation concentrations, and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit offers a long-established bachelor's and an MFA in transportation design.
The portfolio is what gets people hired: sketching, rendering and digital modeling work, often from sponsored studio projects and internships at automakers. Strong skills in Alias, Blender, Gravity Sketch or real-time 3D tools help.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as commercial and industrial designers.
- Bachelor's Degree67.9%
- Some College Courses15.2%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree12.3%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)4.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate0.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 67.9% |
| Some College Courses | 15.2% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 12.3% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 4.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 0.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Automotive Designer do?
Automotive designers shape how vehicles look and how it feels to sit inside them. Exterior designers develop the proportions and surfaces of the body, interior designers lay out dashboards, seats, controls and screens, and color and materials designers choose finishes, fabrics and trims. The process starts with sketches and renderings, then moves into 3D digital models in software such as Alias and Blender and full-size clay models.
Designers work closely with engineers, aerodynamicists and safety specialists to keep the design buildable and legal, and they present proposals to studio leadership in competitive design reviews. Studios belong to automakers, suppliers, EV startups and design consultancies, with major U.S. studios in Michigan and California.
Day-to-day tasks
- Sketch and render concepts for vehicle exteriors or interiors
- Build 3D digital surface models in design software
- Work with clay modelers to refine full-size physical models
- Choose colors, materials and trims for vehicle programs
- Collaborate with engineers on packaging, aerodynamics and safety constraints
- Present design proposals at studio reviews
- Research users, trends and competitor vehicles
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Designers work in secure design studios with drawing stations, modeling rooms and viewing yards where full-size models are judged outdoors. Work is collaborative and deadline-driven around design reviews. Some travel to studios abroad, auto shows and supplier sites is common.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Speaking3.5
- Writing3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Mathematics2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.5 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Operations Analysis3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Coordination3.1
- Persuasion3.1
- Technology Design3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Technology Design | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Graphical user interface development software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Automotive Designer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code AIR) built on O*NET's Commercial and Industrial Designer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Automotive Designer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 6 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Artistic5.7
- Realistic4.7
- Investigative4.5
- Enterprising3.7
- Conventional3.5
- Social1.8
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Automotive Designer
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Architecture and Engineering
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with commercial and industrial designers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Automotive Designer$83,910
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Automotive Designer | $83,910 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Automotive Designer appears on
Questions
Automotive Designer: frequently asked questions
How much do Commercial and Industrial Designers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for commercial and industrial designers. It counts them within commercial and industrial designer, whose median pay is $83,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $66,450 and $109,050, and the top 10% earn $139,770 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Automotive Designer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Commercial and Industrial Designers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 67.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Automotive Designer a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.4% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Automotive Designer do?
Automotive designers shape how vehicles look and how it feels to sit inside them. A typical task: sketch and render concepts for vehicle exteriors or interiors. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Commercial and Industrial Designers the most?
The highest state medians for Commercial and Industrial Designers are Kansas ($104,870), Michigan ($102,160), Massachusetts ($101,720) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Automotive Designer?
O*NET scores Commercial and Industrial Designers highest on the Artistic, Realistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with INTP personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.