SOC 27-1021 · Dubuque, IA metro

Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary in Dubuque, IA

The average salary for commercial and industrial designers in Dubuque, Iowa is $77,280 a year ($37.16 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $64,690: half of the 30 people in this job in the Dubuque, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($93,260).

$77,280average per year

$37.16 / hourMedian $64,690Take-home ≈ $60,872

  • $52K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $92K75th
  • $121K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

30people in this job
-17%vs U.S. average
#2 of 5Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Commercial and Industrial Designers pay range in Dubuque

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,550 a year or less, while the top 10% make $120,750 or more. The middle half of commercial and industrial designers in Dubuque earn between $63,780 and $91,890.

  • $52K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $92K75th
  • $121K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$77,280$6,440$37.15
Median$64,690$5,391$31.10
Entry level (25th percentile)$63,780$5,315$30.66
Experienced (75th percentile)$91,890$7,658$44.18

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Commercial and Industrial Designers pay in Dubuque vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Commercial and industrial designers in Dubuque earn 6% more than the Iowa average ($73,050) and 17% less than the U.S. average ($93,260). At the median the gap is -23% against the U.S. median of $83,910.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Dubuque$77,280$64,690$51,550$120,75030
Iowa$73,050$70,420$51,690$94,570440
United States$93,260$83,910$53,460$139,77033,490

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary after taxes in Dubuque

On the average salary of $77,280, a single filer in Dubuque takes home about $60,872 a year, or $5,073 a month and $2,341 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Dubuque a good place for commercial and industrial designers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Dubuque area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.3), so the average $77,280 buys what about $88,494 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Dubuque ($48,750). A typical home costs $279,463, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $77,280 is worth in another city

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary in other Iowa cities

Dubuque ranks 2nd of 5 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($79,560).

All Commercial and Industrial Designers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for commercial and industrial designers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($148,840).

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Commercial and Industrial Designers in Dubuque, IA.

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary in Dubuque: questions

How much do commercial and industrial designers make an hour in Dubuque?

$37.16 an hour on average, and $31.10 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level commercial and industrial designers salary in Dubuque?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,550 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,780, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the commercial and industrial designers take-home pay in Dubuque?

About $60,872 a year ($5,073 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,280. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do commercial and industrial designers earn more in Dubuque than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($93,260).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-1021; area Dubuque, IA (20220). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.63, this job is 2.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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