Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ make a median of $94,890 a year, or about $45.62 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $155K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $84,302 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 48.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $95K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 York-Newark-Jersey City
New York-Newark-Jersey City 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. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 49.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial and industrial designers in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $78K | $82K |
| Rochester | $88K | $90K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $119K | $109K |
| Syracuse | $82K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level commercial and industrial designers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $95K. Top earners bring in $155K or more, a $92K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial and industrial designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $95K, rent takes 49.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/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-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial and industrial designers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,788/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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-Newark-Jersey City?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $95K here vs. $84K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 13% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for commercial and industrial designers?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $95K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial and industrial designers make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $94,890 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,140, and experienced commercial and industrial designers can clear $155,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $95K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,875/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 49.5% 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-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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 $84,302 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.