U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDevelop and design manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29,030 | 3.7 % | $30.02 | $62,430 | 0.9 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $16.64 | $21.36 | $28.66 | $36.98 | $45.31 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $34,610 | $44,430 | $59,610 | $76,930 | $94,250 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Design Services | 3,990 | 3.43 | $30.41 | $63,250 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 2,510 | 0.19 | $34.15 | $71,030 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,540 | 0.57 | $28.08 | $58,410 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 1,170 | 0.25 | $30.51 | $63,460 |
| Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 1,060 | 0.35 | $25.70 | $53,460 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Design Services | 3,990 | 3.43 | $30.41 | $63,250 |
| Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers | 660 | 0.70 | $26.32 | $54,740 |
| Household Appliance Manufacturing | 330 | 0.60 | $29.78 | $61,950 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,540 | 0.57 | $28.08 | $58,410 |
| Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing | 450 | 0.46 | $24.85 | $51,690 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 90 | 0.03 | $38.84 | $80,790 |
| Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing | 100 | 0.11 | $37.17 | $77,310 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 300 | 0.05 | $35.04 | $72,880 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 360 | 0.07 | $34.41 | $71,570 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 2,510 | 0.19 | $34.15 | $71,030 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 3,370 | 0.24 | 1.06 | $31.23 | $64,950 |
| Michigan | 3,280 | 0.84 | 3.75 | $33.70 | $70,100 |
| Texas | 2,310 | 0.22 | 0.98 | $30.07 | $62,550 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,880 | 0.34 | 1.51 | $29.42 | $61,190 |
| New York | 1,810 | 0.21 | 0.95 | $32.93 | $68,500 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 3,280 | 0.84 | 3.75 | $33.70 | $70,100 |
| Rhode Island | 320 | 0.71 | 3.19 | $27.94 | $58,120 |
| Vermont | 160 | 0.54 | 2.41 | $25.66 | $53,380 |
| Wisconsin | 1,180 | 0.44 | 1.98 | $27.61 | $57,420 |
| Indiana | 990 | 0.35 | 1.57 | $24.56 | $51,090 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 200 | 0.12 | 0.56 | $39.24 | $81,610 |
| New Mexico | 30 | 0.04 | 0.20 | $38.88 | $80,860 |
| Missouri | 320 | 0.12 | 0.55 | $34.82 | $72,420 |
| Connecticut | 250 | 0.15 | 0.69 | $34.39 | $71,530 |
| Michigan | 3,280 | 0.84 | 3.75 | $33.70 | $70,100 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division | 1,430 | 1.33 | 5.98 | $34.82 | $72,430 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 1,370 | 0.26 | 1.19 | $34.30 | $71,340 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,290 | 0.33 | 1.50 | $27.47 | $57,130 |
| Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Division | 880 | 1.26 | 5.66 | $33.94 | $70,590 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 720 | 0.34 | 1.54 | $27.49 | $57,170 |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division | 670 | 0.18 | 0.83 | $30.38 | $63,180 |
| Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN | 570 | 0.58 | 2.62 | $33.64 | $69,980 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 550 | 0.21 | 0.94 | $34.61 | $72,000 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 500 | 0.28 | 1.24 | $28.67 | $59,630 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 440 | 0.25 | 1.14 | $27.03 | $56,210 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokomo, IN | 80 | 2.05 | 9.19 | (8) | (8) |
| Niles-Benton Harbor, MI | 110 | 1.86 | 8.36 | $27.60 | $57,400 |
| Holland-Grand Haven, MI | 150 | 1.42 | 6.39 | $30.65 | $63,760 |
| Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division | 1,430 | 1.33 | 5.98 | $34.82 | $72,430 |
| Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Division | 880 | 1.26 | 5.66 | $33.94 | $70,590 |
| Wausau, WI | 80 | 1.24 | 5.59 | $23.03 | $47,900 |
| Anderson, SC | 60 | 0.97 | 4.36 | (8) | (8) |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 80 | 0.93 | 4.17 | $25.29 | $52,600 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 90 | 0.73 | 3.29 | $31.56 | $65,650 |
| Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC | 210 | 0.71 | 3.20 | $34.45 | $71,660 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 110 | 0.40 | 1.78 | $46.41 | $96,540 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 200 | 0.20 | 0.90 | $40.49 | $84,220 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 90 | 0.45 | 2.03 | $40.27 | $83,760 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 200 | 0.22 | 0.99 | $39.48 | $82,120 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 150 | 0.12 | 0.54 | $39.01 | $81,150 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 60 | 0.31 | 1.37 | $38.07 | $79,190 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 350 | 0.35 | 1.55 | $37.23 | $77,440 |
| Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 350 | 0.25 | 1.11 | $35.84 | $74,550 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | (8) | (8) | (8) | $35.61 | $74,080 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 230 | 0.59 | 2.64 | $35.38 | $73,590 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 0.44 | 1.98 | $29.35 | $61,040 |
| North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 1.47 | 6.60 | $26.01 | $54,090 |
| Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.56 | 2.52 | $20.10 | $41,810 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.32 | 1.45 | $27.45 | $57,090 |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.18 | 0.79 | $24.79 | $51,560 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 1.47 | 6.60 | $26.01 | $54,090 |
| Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.64 | 2.87 | $16.14 | $33,580 |
| Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.61 | 2.74 | $28.59 | $59,460 |
| Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.56 | 2.52 | $20.10 | $41,810 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 0.44 | 1.98 | $29.35 | $61,040 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $34.44 | $71,630 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.25 | 1.14 | $33.55 | $69,790 |
| Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.26 | 1.15 | $31.20 | $64,890 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 0.44 | 1.98 | $29.35 | $61,040 |
| Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.29 | 1.31 | $29.17 | $60,680 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
