Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers in New Orleans-Metairie, LA make a median of $98,260 a year, or about $47.24 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $141K for experienced workers.
So what does $98K get you in New Orleans-Metairie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New Orleans-Metairie’s Regional Price Parity (92.6). 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 New Orleans-Metairie
New Orleans-Metairie sits well above the national pay line for commercial and industrial designers, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $84K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,121/month, 18.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.6 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, New Orleans-Metairie offers a genuinely strong financial position for commercial and industrial designerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial and industrial designers in metros near New Orleans-Metairie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $104K | , |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $87K | , |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $101K | , |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $82K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Entry-level commercial and industrial designers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $98K. Top earners bring in $141K or more, a $104K 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
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 New Orleans-Metairie numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial and industrial designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Orleans-Metairie?
Yes — at the median salary of $98K, rent takes 18.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,121/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial and industrial designers in New Orleans-Metairie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial and industrial designers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,212/month. At HUD’s $1,121/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $98K here vs. $84K nationally.
How does New Orleans-Metairie compare to the national average for commercial and industrial designers?
New Orleans-Metairie pays $98K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $106K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial and industrial designers make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
The median is $98,260 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,860, and experienced commercial and industrial designers can clear $140,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $98K enough to live in New Orleans-Metairie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,160/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,121/month, which eats 18.2% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
New Orleans-Metairie has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median commercial and industrial designers salary is worth about $106,112 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.