Commercial and Industrial Designers
Design and develop manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.
33,490 people do this job in the US. $83,910 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 67%
- 17%
- 15%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 7%. Today's estimate: 12%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 17 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.Done daily by most who do it. | 13% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 1.3 work days | 32%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 13% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | 23%Half by Mar 2027 | |
| Develop manufacturing procedures and monitor the manufacture of their designs in a factory to improve operations and product quality.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 13% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1 work week | Stays with people | |
| Design graphic material for use as ornamentation, illustration, or advertising on manufactured materials and packaging or containers.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | 8%Half by Sep 2027 | |
| Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 10% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | 21%Half by May 2027 | |
| Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 8% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | Stays with people | |
| Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 1 work day3.3 h to 2.5 work days | 5%Half by Jul 2027 | |
| Investigate product characteristics such as the product's safety and handling qualities, its market appeal, how efficiently it can be produced, and ways of distributing, using, and maintaining it.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | 8%Half by Sep 2027 | |
| Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | 17%Half by Apr 2027 | |
| Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Coordinate the look and function of product lines.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 2% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | 8%Half by Sep 2027 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).