Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers in New York make a median of $89,640 a year, or about $43.1 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $160K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.21), that's roughly $91,274 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,917/month, about 34.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New York. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $90K get you in New York?
About commercial and industrial designers
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What this looks like in New York
Commercial and industrial designers pay in New York tracks closely to the national median, $90K locally vs. $84K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,917/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.21) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York
Entry-level commercial and industrial designers (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $160K or more, a $101K spread from bottom to top.
Commercial and Industrial Designers salary by metro in New York
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $119K | +33% | 80 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $95K | +6% | 2,560 |
| Rochester | $88K | -2% | 110 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $84K | -6% | 50 |
| Syracuse | $82K | -9% | 60 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $78K | -13% | 140 |
Compare to other states
Track commercial and industrial designers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New York numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial and industrial designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,917/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/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 New York?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial and industrial designers typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,550/month. At HUD’s $1,917/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 York?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $90K locally vs. $84K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does New York compare to the national average for commercial and industrial designers?
New York pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial and industrial designers make in New York?
The median is $89,640 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,160, and experienced commercial and industrial designers can clear $160,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in New York?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,593/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,917/month, which eats 34.3% 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 New York?
New York has a Regional Price Parity of 98.21 (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 $91,274 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.