Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN make a median of $95,160 a year, or about $45.75 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.37), that's roughly $99,780 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,353/month, or 22.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $95K actually covers in Cincinnati, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cincinnati’s Regional Price Parity (95.37). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Cincinnati
Cincinnati sits well above the national pay line for commercial and industrial designers, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $84K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,353/month, 22.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.37) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Cincinnati offers a genuinely strong financial position for commercial and industrial designers at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial and industrial designers in metros near Cincinnati, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | $78K | $81K |
| Cleveland | $78K | $83K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $70K | $76K |
| Akron | $80K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Entry-level commercial and industrial designers (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $95K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $81K 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 Cincinnati numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a commercial and industrial designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cincinnati?
Yes — at the median salary of $95K, rent takes 22.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,353/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial and industrial designers in Cincinnati?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial and industrial designers typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,667/month. At HUD’s $1,353/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 Cincinnati?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $95K here vs. $84K nationally.
How does Cincinnati compare to the national average for commercial and industrial designers?
Cincinnati pays $95K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial and industrial designers make in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?
The median is $95,160 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,170, and experienced commercial and industrial designers can clear $134,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $95K enough to live in Cincinnati?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,116/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,353/month, which eats 22.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a commercial and industrial designers salary go in Cincinnati?
Cincinnati has a Regional Price Parity of 95.37 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median commercial and industrial designers salary is worth about $99,780 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.