Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers in Boulder, CO make a median of $107,990 a year, or about $51.92 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.2), so that salary is closer to $102,652 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,033/month, or 29.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $108K actually covers in Boulder, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boulder’s Regional Price Parity (105.2). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About commercial and industrial designers
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What this looks like in Boulder
Boulder sits well above the national pay line for commercial and industrial designers, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $84K. Rent runs $2,033/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.2), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial and industrial designers in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $84K | $80K |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $65K | $64K |
| Wichita | $105K | $118K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $80K | $78K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level commercial and industrial designers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $108K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $116K spread from bottom to top.
Commercial and Industrial Designers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Commercial and Industrial Designers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $105K | +25% | 260 |
| Michigan | $102K | +22% | 2,930 |
| Massachusetts | $102K | +21% | 1,240 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | +21% | 190 |
| California | $101K | +20% | 5,300 |
| Louisiana | $98K | +17% | 130 |
| Minnesota | $94K | +12% | 590 |
| Washington | $94K | +12% | 340 |
| Arkansas | $93K | +10% | 230 |
| Georgia | $91K | +9% | 360 |
| Colorado | $91K | +8% | 400 |
| New Jersey | $90K | +8% | 1,230 |
| New York | $90K | +7% | 2,400 |
| Indiana | $88K | +5% | 1,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $83K | -2% | 770 |
| Virginia | $82K | -2% | 1,480 |
| Connecticut | $81K | -3% | 160 |
| Idaho | $81K | -4% | 180 |
| Vermont | $81K | -4% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $81K | -4% | 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | $81K | -4% | 820 |
| Ohio | $79K | -5% | 1,190 |
| Florida | $79K | -6% | 1,990 |
| South Carolina | $77K | -8% | 810 |
| Oregon | $77K | -8% | 480 |
| Nevada | $77K | -9% | 210 |
| Oklahoma | $77K | -9% | 240 |
| Arizona | $76K | -9% | 170 |
| Kentucky | $76K | -9% | 420 |
| Missouri | $75K | -10% | 270 |
| New Hampshire | $74K | -12% | 110 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -13% | 110 |
| Montana | $73K | -13% | 60 |
| Nebraska | $72K | -15% | 90 |
| Tennessee | $71K | -15% | 750 |
| Maryland | $71K | -16% | 490 |
| Iowa | $70K | -16% | 440 |
| Alabama | $64K | -24% | 130 |
| New Mexico | $63K | -25% | 110 |
| Utah | $63K | -25% | 480 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -28% | 190 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track commercial and industrial designers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Boulder numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a commercial and industrial designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $108K, rent takes 30.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,033/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial and industrial designers in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial and industrial designers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,683/month. At HUD’s $2,033/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is commercial and industrial designer a high-paying job in Boulder?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $108K here vs. $84K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for commercial and industrial designers?
Boulder pays $108K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $103K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial and industrial designers make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $107,990 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,710, and experienced commercial and industrial designers can clear $156,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $108K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,634/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,033/month, which eats 30.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a commercial and industrial designers salary go in Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 105.2 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median commercial and industrial designers salary is worth about $102,652 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do commercial and industrial designers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.