We’ve sketched up and created a great source to learn the best states for commercial and industrial designers.
Design isn’t all about making a fancy website or a new skirt; sometimes design can be quite technical. It’s not necessarily something I think I would thrive in, but it’s a field that people who are equally left and right-brained seem to do really well with. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that commercial and industrial designers “develop and design manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children’s toys,” as well as “combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.” Essentially what this means is they make products that the masses use and consume.
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It can’t be an easy job to design and manufacture new and interesting products. Technology is constantly advancing and needs are always changing, so these types of designers have to be on their toes and have the ability to adapt and learn new things. It’s a much more utilitarian way to be a designer than when it comes to certain areas of fashion design or graphic design, which are arguably more traditional design fields when one first thinks of the word “design.” There are certain places that are better for those fields, as indicated by the best states for fashion designers.
In order to create our list of the best places for these designers to live, we first consulted the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out the average annual salary in each state. Salary isn’t the only thing that influences whether or not a state is a good place to live and work, though, which is why we also consulted the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center to find the cost of living index. We took the average of those two figures to best determine the states that make the most sense to live in. This means that the states with the highest salary combined with the lowest cost of living are going to be at the top of the list, as it makes sense to want the best pay and cheapest living expenses in order to thrive.
Get your resumes and cover letters ready, pack your bags, and keep reading this list of the best states for commercial and industrial designers.
25. Kansas
Average salary: $56,740
Cost of living: 90.4
More than 240 commercial and industrial designers call Kansas home.
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24. New Jersey
Average salary: $76,820
Cost of living: 121
New Jersey has a great salary range, but the cost of living is too high to place it higher on our list. 1,040 designers work here already, though.
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23. Pennsylvania
Average salary: $66,870
Cost of living: 102.8
Over 870 of these designers live and work in Pennsylvania already.
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22. Missouri
Average salary: $59,750
Cost of living: 90.8
Missouri has a super low cost of living, but the salary isn’t the best. Even so, 420 people already live and work here as designers.
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21. Kentucky
Average salary: $60,520
Cost of living: 90.8
Kentucky has the same cost of living as Missouri, but the salary is slightly higher, which is why it ranks above. Over 200 commercial and industrial designers are employed here.
20. Washington
Average salary: $71,470
Cost of living: 107.1
Washington is a beautiful state to live in, and 480 designers already call this state home.
19. Indiana
Average salary: $58,880
Cost of living: 87.9
With such a low cost of living, it’s no wonder 790 commercial and industrial designers live and work in Indiana.
18. Arizona
Average salary: $67,950
Cost of living: 98.1
More than 200 people have chosen Arizona to live and work as a commercial and industrial designer.
17. West Virginia
Average salary: $66,380
Cost of living: 95.7
West Virginia is a small and great state to call home as a designer, as over 140 already do.
16. Ohio
Average salary: $64,630
Cost of living: 93
Ohio has already 1,310 commercial and industrial designers employed here, which shows there’s plenty of need and opportunity.
15. Illinois
Average salary: $66,510
Cost of living: 95.5
Illinois is another one of the best states for commercial and industrial designers, and over 1,400 already work here.
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14. Montana
Average salary: $70,630
Cost of living: 100.8
About 50 designers choose to live and work in Montana.
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13. Oklahoma
Average salary: $62,230
Cost of living: 88.6
Oklahoma is home to more than 230 commercial and industrial designers.
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12. Nebraska
Average salary: $64,830
Cost of living: 91.3
Nebraska has a great combo of salary and cost of living, and more than 70 designers are employed here.
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11. Colorado
Average salary: $72,570
Cost of living: 102.1
Up next in our list of best states for commercial and industrial designers is Colorado that is a great state for commercial and industrial designers, as more than 430 live and work here already.
10. Georgia
Average salary: $66,850
Cost of living: 91.4
Georgia ranks 10th in our list of best states for commercial and industrial designers. It employs more than 730 commercial and industrial designers.
9. South Carolina
Average salary: $74,980
Cost of living: 100.5
Up next in our list of best states for commercial and industrial designers is South Carolina that is a beautiful state, and with the high salary it’s no wonder more than 620 designers work here.
8. Alabama
Average salary: $68,340
Cost of living: 91.2
More than 220 commercial and industrial designers call Alabama home.
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7. Louisiana
Average salary: $70,950
Cost of living: 94.4
Louisiana’s combination of high salary and low cost of living enticed more than 430 designers to be employed here already.
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6. Nevada
Average salary: $78,680
Cost of living: 104.5
Nevada ranks 6th in our list of best states for commercial and industrial designers. It offers a great salary, and despite the fact that the cost of living is higher than other states on this list, more than 110 of these designers work here.
5. Mississippi
Average salary: $65,440
Cost of living: 86
We are continuing our list of best states for commercial and industrial designers with Mississippi that may not have been the first state on your mind, but over 100 commercial and industrial designers do well here.
4. North Carolina
Average salary: $73,280
Cost of living: 94.2
North Carolina ranks 4th in our list of best states for commercial and industrial designers. It employs more than 740 of these specialized designers.
3. Arkansas
Average salary: $70,040
Cost of living: 88.5
Arkansas has a super low cost of living and more than 80 industrial designers are employed here.
2. Texas
Average salary: $72,770
Cost of living: 90.7
More than 730 commercial and industrial designers live and work in the Lone Star State.
1. Michigan
Average salary: $78,120
Cost of living: 88.2
Michigan is at the top of this list because of the perfect combination of high salary and low cost of living. This is probably why more than 6,030 commercial and industrial designers already live and work here.
That concludes the list of the best states for commercial and industrial designers. Hopefully it led you to a great option for your next career move!
