Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers in Knoxville, TN make a median of $70,200 a year, or about $33.75 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $155K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.57), which stretches that salary to about $75,835 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,471/month, about 30.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $70K get you in Knoxville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Knoxville’s Regional Price Parity (92.57). 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 Knoxville
Pay for commercial and industrial designers in Knoxville runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $84K. Rent runs $1,471/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. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.57 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial and industrial designers in metros near Knoxville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $68K | $71K |
| Memphis | $68K | $74K |
| Chattanooga | $67K | $73K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $84K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Knoxville, TN
Entry-level commercial and industrial designers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $155K or more, a $113K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Knoxville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial and industrial designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Knoxville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 30.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Knoxville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial and industrial designers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,524/month. At HUD’s $1,471/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Knoxville?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $70K here vs. $84K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Knoxville compare to the national average for commercial and industrial designers?
Knoxville pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — below the national median.
How much do commercial and industrial designers make in Knoxville, TN?
The median is $70,200 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,070, and experienced commercial and industrial designers can clear $155,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Knoxville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,814/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,471/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 Knoxville?
Knoxville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.57 (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 $75,835 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.