National Salary Info » Other Designers

Highest Paying Industries for Other Designers

The top 82 highest paying industries for other 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 $90,530, software publishers is the highest paying industry for other designers. It is followed by finance and insurance industry (average annual salary $82,690). 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 other designers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 82 Highest Paying Industries for Other Designers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Software Publishers	$90,530	$42,760	160
2	Finance and Insurance	$82,690	$44,940	70
3	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$77,230	$45,600	80
4	Scientific Research and Development Services	$77,230	$45,600	80
5	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$77,170	$18,690	60
6	Residential Building Construction	$76,020	$53,610	30
7	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$70,310	$32,410	40
8	Construction of Buildings	$67,660	$50,130	70
9	Other Information Services	$67,240	$36,110	50
10	Nonresidential Building Construction	$63,470	$45,040	n/a
11	Specialized Design Services	$61,100	$19,290	480
12	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$59,770	$34,860	110
13	Federal, State, and Local Government	$59,770	$34,860	110
14	Construction	$59,470	$34,250	210
15	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$59,220	$21,990	340
16	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$59,040	$34,450	40
17	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$58,510	$30,330	140
18	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$58,240	$37,820	70
19	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$58,170	$34,410	90
20	Temporary Help Services	$57,240	$31,300	770
21	Employment Services	$56,460	$31,030	840
22	Information	$55,330	$22,100	1,030
23	Administrative and Support Services	$55,250	$29,810	950
24	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$55,250	$29,810	950
25	Health Care and Social Assistance	$55,130	$36,020	40
26	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$55,120	$33,370	220
27	Specialty Trade Contractors	$54,900	$33,170	140
28	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$54,120	$32,310	110
29	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$54,100	$21,700	90
30	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$53,900	$30,170	60
31	Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses	$53,660	$27,600	80
32	Nonstore Retailers	$53,660	$27,600	80
33	Household and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing	$53,570	$40,010	n/a
34	Building Equipment Contractors	$53,420	$32,970	130
35	State government, including schools and hospitals	$53,040	$32,640	120
36	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$53,020	$30,890	60
37	Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers	$52,740	$31,000	80
38	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$52,680	$26,040	510
39	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$52,230	$21,780	630
40	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$52,230	$21,780	630
41	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$51,860	$34,530	60
42	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$51,290	$34,240	50
43	Engineering Services	$51,030	$31,420	170
44	Educational Services	$50,660	$29,250	180
45	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$50,300	$32,670	70
46	Educational Services - State government owned	$50,300	$32,670	70
47	Educational Services - Privately owned	$50,120	$27,050	90
48	Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing	$49,980	$33,410	n/a
49	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$49,770	$29,890	150
50	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	$49,760	$34,120	n/a
51	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$49,050	$27,250	80
52	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$49,000	$19,930	1,530
53	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$47,530	$32,460	70
54	Wholesale Trade	$47,510	$25,020	700
55	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$47,380	$20,590	220
56	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$47,030	$29,040	280
57	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$46,830	$27,510	320
58	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$46,640	$17,910	n/a
59	Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers	$46,050	$17,140	80
60	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$45,200	$17,960	270
61	Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers	$45,140	$27,960	n/a
62	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$44,340	$32,750	40
63	Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	$44,130	$19,430	100
64	Manufacturing	$43,790	$24,040	590
65	Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	$43,180	$17,990	370
66	Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers	$42,640	$31,780	50
67	Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries	$42,530	$20,690	130
68	Newspaper Publishers	$42,510	$18,760	150
69	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$42,110	$19,040	180
70	Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop Manufacturing	$39,080	$33,020	40
71	Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$38,860	$29,430	40
72	Other Support Services	$38,750	$18,890	70
73	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$38,370	$21,610	160
74	Wood Product Manufacturing	$37,880	$31,010	50
75	Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers	$34,110	$17,760	200
76	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$34,060	$17,530	40
77	Retail Trade	$32,410	$19,340	610
78	Miscellaneous Store Retailers	$31,260	$18,100	310
79	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$30,470	$17,420	70
80	Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Stores	$24,470	$20,860	n/a
81	Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores	$24,000	$19,650	70
82	Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores	$24,000	$19,650	70