SOC 27-1021 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro

Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary in Washington, DC

The average salary for commercial and industrial designers in Washington, Washington, D.C. is $90,900 a year ($43.70 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $85,660: half of the 120 people in this job in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($93,260).

$90,900average per year

$43.70 / hourMedian $85,660Take-home ≈ $68,020

  • $44K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $86KMedian
  • $110K75th
  • $131K90th

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

120people in this job
-3%vs U.S. average
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Commercial and Industrial Designers pay range in Washington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $130,690 or more. The middle half of commercial and industrial designers in Washington earn between $68,350 and $109,870.

  • $44K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $86KMedian
  • $110K75th
  • $131K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$90,900$7,575$43.70
Median$85,660$7,138$41.18
Entry level (25th percentile)$68,350$5,696$32.86
Experienced (75th percentile)$109,870$9,156$52.82

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

Commercial and Industrial Designers pay in Washington vs. Washington, D.C. and the U.S.

Commercial and industrial designers in Washington earn about the same as the U.S. average ($93,260). At the median the gap is +2% against the U.S. median of $83,910.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Washington$90,900$85,660$43,940$130,690120
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 Washington

On the average salary of $90,900, a single filer in Washington takes home about $68,020 a year, or $5,668 a month and $2,616 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in WV$69,504$5,792
Working in MD$68,672$5,723
Working in VA$68,366$5,697
Working in DC$68,020$5,668

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Washington, D.C. paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Washington area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.9), so the average $90,900 buys what about $83,483 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Washington ($71,060). A typical home costs $583,013, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $90,900 is worth in another city

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary in nearby metro areas

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 Washington, DC.

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary in Washington: questions

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

$43.70 an hour on average, and $41.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $68,350, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $68,020 a year ($5,668 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $90,900.

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (47900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.1%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.17, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.17).

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