As of June 2026, Commercial and Industrial Designers has an AI-exposure score of 57/100 (Elevated exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Commercial and Industrial Designers
More exposed than 55% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$83,910. About 2,500 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Arts, Design & Media roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as durable (94%).
- Develop industrial standards and regulatory guidelines.
- Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.
- Coordinate the look and function of product lines.
- Fabricate models or samples in paper, wood, glass, fabric, plastic, metal, or other materials, using hand or power tools.
- Design graphic material for use as ornamentation, illustration, or advertising on manufactured materials and packaging or containers.
- Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
- Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
- Advise corporations on issues involving corporate image projects or problems.
- Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
- Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
- Investigate product characteristics such as the product's safety and handling qualities, its market appeal, how efficiently it can be produced, and ways of distributing, using, and maintaining it.
- Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.
- Develop manufacturing procedures and monitor the manufacture of their designs in a factory to improve operations and product quality.
- Read publications, attend showings, and study competing products and design styles and motifs to obtain perspective and generate design concepts.
- Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.
- Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
- Supervise assistants' work throughout the design process.
Safer adjacent roles
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