Executive Summary

About 9,680 designers, all other work nationally, and $66,220 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 13% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.5% annual growth.

Designers, All Other: what the data shows

Common questions about designers, all other careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a designers, all other?

Designers, All Other is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-1029.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 9,680 workers.

What does a designers, all other do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Working with Computers, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Thinking Creatively, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a designers, all other make?

BLS national median annual wage: $66,220 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $98,753 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$47,404
25th percentile$60,665
Median (50th)$82,482
75th percentile$121,792
90th percentile$162,438

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Design, Engineering and Technology, Mechanical, Production and Processing. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is designers, all other in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 7.8%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 16.3%.

Current U.S. headcount: 9,680.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do designers, all others work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry9,68022.2%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only9,51021.8%
Manufacturing1,8904.3%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services1,7704.0%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services1,7704.0%
Retail Trade1,0902.5%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Designers, All Other in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Floral Designers40,160$36,120
Artists and Related Workers, All Other7,370$72,760
Set and Exhibit Designers10,850$66,280
Fashion Designers20,910$80,690
Interior Designers69,580$63,490
Graphic Designers214,260$61,300

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Designers, All Other workforce.

Employment Over Time

9,680 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Designers, All Other grew from 8,560 in 2009 to 10,900 in 2025 (27.3%).

Historical employment for Designers, All Other from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$66,220 Median pay (BLS national)

Designers, All Other earn $66,220 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Designers, All Other.

Salary distribution for Designers, All Other.

Employment Growth Projections

1.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

11,755 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 7.8%

12,677 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 16.3%

This occupation is projected to grow at 1.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Designers, All Other.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Designers, All Other and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Designers, All Other employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Designers, All Other.

Wage Trends by Industry

-15.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Designers, All Other.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Designers, All Other.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 2,850 employees, $96,140 avg wage
  • NY: 990 employees, $87,520 avg wage
  • FL: 840 employees, $55,130 avg wage
  • LA: 650 employees, $86,660 avg wage
  • GA: 540 employees, $76,380 avg wage
  • NJ: 510 employees, $66,830 avg wage
  • OH: 270 employees, $45,850 avg wage
  • WA: 260 employees, $63,050 avg wage
  • OR: 260 employees, $72,950 avg wage
  • TN: 220 employees, $67,980 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Designers, All Other.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 1,500 employees, $97,720 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,180 employees, $83,860 avg wage
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 460 employees, $108,850 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 340 employees, $81,780 avg wage
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 330 employees, $54,580 avg wage
  • New Orleans-Metairie, LA: 290 employees, $104,440 avg wage
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 210 employees, $62,040 avg wage
  • Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 170 employees, $62,170 avg wage
  • Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 170 employees, $81,140 avg wage
  • Baton Rouge, LA: 160 employees, $62,010 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Designers, All Other.

Diversity

Demographic information on Designers, All Other in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Designers, All Other is about 9,680 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Designers, All Other.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Designers, All Other.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Designers, All Other.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Designers, All Other in 2023 were Visual Arts, Design, Graphic Design.

Common majors for Designers, All Other.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Designers, All Other workers.

Education level distribution for Designers, All Other.

Skills

Designers, All Other need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking.

Required skills for Designers, All Other.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Designers, All Other.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Designers, All Other include Design, Engineering and Technology, Mechanical, Production and Processing, Computers and Electronics.

Knowledge areas required for Designers, All Other.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Designers, All Other include Originality, Near Vision, Fluency of Ideas, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.

Required abilities for Designers, All Other.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Designers, All Other.

Daily Activities

Designers, All Other spend their time on activities such as Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Working with Computers, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information.

Most important work activities for Designers, All Other.

About

Designers, All Other

Designers, All Other earn $66,220 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

27-1029 - Designers, All Other

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Designers, All Other reports an average salary of $98,753.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 9,680 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.