National Salary Info » Designers

Highest Paying Industries for Designers

The top 100 highest paying industries for designers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $90,000, support activities for mining is the highest paying industry for designers. It is followed by mining industry (average annual salary $87,540). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of designers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Designers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Support Activities for Mining	$90,000	$52,970	n/a
2	Mining	$87,540	$43,090	n/a
3	Footwear Manufacturing	$79,020	$41,250	260
4	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$78,100	$42,910	1,820
5	Scientific Research and Development Services	$75,670	$40,970	2,050
6	Federal government, including USPS	$74,130	$53,920	2,240
7	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$74,130	$53,960	2,230
8	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$72,330	$41,150	n/a
9	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$72,180	$40,940	n/a
10	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$70,080	$39,060	n/a
11	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	$69,890	$37,310	600
12	Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations	$69,730	$42,430	60
13	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$68,370	$39,550	130
14	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$67,180	$42,140	210
15	Natural Gas Distribution	$66,350	$45,410	30
16	Forging and Stamping	$66,010	$38,370	60
17	Testing Laboratories	$64,420	$40,250	490
18	Other Telecommunications	$64,060	$37,230	60
19	Engineering Services	$63,580	$36,260	5,310
20	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$63,320	$32,710	520
21	Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage	$62,790	$38,460	140
22	Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	$62,740	$33,930	470
23	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$62,390	$33,870	520
24	Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing	$62,350	$33,080	4,020
25	Telecommunications	$62,180	$34,010	670
26	Security Systems Services	$61,970	$37,650	80
27	Ship and Boat Building	$61,910	$39,680	240
28	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$61,510	$38,070	4,920
29	Federal, State, and Local Government	$61,510	$38,070	4,920
30	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$60,380	$36,220	1,020
31	Apparel Manufacturing	$60,380	$32,870	4,370
32	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	$60,170	$35,410	210
33	Household Appliance Manufacturing	$59,700	$39,410	320
34	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$59,480	$33,670	120
35	Investigation and Security Services	$59,320	$39,480	110
36	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$59,140	$35,330	400
37	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$58,910	$35,730	1,160
38	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$58,530	$34,950	16,170
39	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$58,460	$28,130	6,400
40	Other Financial Investment Activities	$58,000	$34,570	250
41	Facilities Support Services	$57,950	$39,020	60
42	Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers	$57,930	$30,870	9,260
43	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$57,880	$28,210	6,630
44	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$57,810	$33,310	2,360
45	Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing	$57,720	$28,600	60
46	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	$57,590	$35,330	80
47	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$57,200	$36,710	390
48	Utilities	$57,160	$31,030	110
49	Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing	$57,080	$44,530	40
50	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$56,980	$40,000	50
51	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$56,940	$39,780	130
52	Other Information Services	$56,590	$29,820	1,900
53	Depository Credit Intermediation	$56,490	$35,470	370
54	Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	$55,990	$34,520	640
55	Machinery Manufacturing	$55,830	$33,310	2,770
56	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$55,810	$39,160	40
57	Software Publishers	$55,710	$30,030	1,330
58	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	$55,640	$33,000	230
59	Monetary Authorities-Central Bank	$55,520	$32,100	40
60	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	$55,490	$33,160	410
61	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$55,400	$32,390	250
62	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$55,240	$33,760	360
63	Insurance Carriers	$55,160	$34,620	990
64	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$55,120	$31,700	8,490
65	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	$55,030	$19,530	310
66	Finance and Insurance	$54,830	$33,960	2,430
67	Offices of Physicians	$54,740	$37,970	n/a
68	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$54,700	$33,080	230
69	Nonresidential Building Construction	$54,610	$35,110	570
70	Cable and Other Subscription Programming	$54,490	$32,170	370
71	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$54,480	$25,900	100
72	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$54,240	$26,010	17,710
73	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$54,180	$34,170	1,290
74	Social Advocacy Organizations	$53,910	$33,320	430
75	Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)	$53,730	$33,300	80
76	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$53,690	$33,130	690
77	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$53,570	$33,800	250
78	Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing	$53,510	$34,260	100
79	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$53,380	$41,500	n/a
80	Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing	$53,360	$39,690	70
81	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$53,120	$32,820	8,970
82	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$53,110	$34,180	1,600
83	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$53,010	$32,070	400
84	Scheduled Air Transportation	$52,940	$29,440	n/a
85	Air Transportation	$52,940	$29,440	n/a
86	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$52,690	$34,140	1,760
87	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$52,690	$31,290	290
88	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$52,510	$32,760	1,450
89	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$52,450	$32,710	330
90	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$52,320	$32,820	n/a
91	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$52,300	$30,570	340
92	Chemical Manufacturing	$52,030	$32,040	990
93	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$52,010	$29,040	70
94	Building Equipment Contractors	$51,970	$32,730	360
95	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$51,680	$35,810	30
96	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$51,680	$32,690	1,330
97	Hospitals - Privately owned	$51,490	$34,010	700
98	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$51,450	$24,110	1,110
99	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$51,400	$32,650	300
100	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$51,290	$30,180	930