Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers in Reading, PA make a median of $78,230 a year, or about $37.61 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.06), that's roughly $80,600 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,575/month, about 30.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $78K get you in Reading?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Reading’s Regional Price Parity (97.06). 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 Reading
Commercial and industrial designers pay in Reading tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $84K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,575/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.06) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial and industrial designers in metros near Reading, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $89K | $87K |
| Pittsburgh | $85K | $90K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $72K | $72K |
| Lancaster | $68K | $69K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Reading, PA
Entry-level commercial and industrial designers (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $55K 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 Reading numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial and industrial designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Reading?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 31% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,575/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Reading?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial and industrial designers typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,139/month. At HUD’s $1,575/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Reading?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $84K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Reading compare to the national average for commercial and industrial designers?
Reading pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — below the national median.
How much do commercial and industrial designers make in Reading, PA?
The median is $78,230 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,310, and experienced commercial and industrial designers can clear $106,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Reading?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,085/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,575/month, which eats 31% 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 Reading?
Reading has a Regional Price Parity of 97.06 (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 $80,600 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.