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Industrial designer

Also called toy designer, CAD designer, 3D CAD designer

Industrial designers work out ideas and develop them into designs and concepts for a wide variety of manufactured products. They integrate creativity, aesthetics, production feasibility, and market relevance in the design of new products.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospects40 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Science and engineering professionalsWhat does it pay?Above averageFrom about €2,000 (Bulgaria) to €7,100 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Science and engineering professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually a degree9 in 10 have a degree.Science and engineering professionalsWill AI change it?LittleLevel 2 of 6. AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.Product and garment designers · ILO

What you'd do

Product and garment designers · ILO
  • Determining the objectives and constraints of the design brief by consulting with clients and stakeholders
  • Formulating design concepts for clothing, textiles, industrial, commercial and consumer products, and jewellery
  • Harmonizing aesthetic considerations with technical, functional, ecological and production requirements
  • Preparing sketches, diagrams, illustrations, plans, samples and models to communicate design concepts
  • Negotiating design solutions with clients, management, and sales and manufacturing staff
  • Selecting, specifying and recommending functional and aesthetic materials, production methods and finishes for manufacture
  • Detailing and documenting the selected design for production
  • Preparing and commissioning prototypes and samples
  • Supervising the preparation of patterns, programmes and tooling, and of the manufacturing process
Follow a briefPresent artistic design proposalsPerform ideation activitiesDraw design sketchesMeet deadlines+ 5 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • Sitting most of the day
  • Lots of contact with people, including the public
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Commercial and Industrial Designers"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

Many jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as science and engineering professionals in the EU
5.82m7.82m9.03m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
948,000 new jobs 2,300,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Science and engineering professionals40
All jobs29
Right now
0 of 27 countries report a shortage of product and garment designers, 11 a surplus.
Product and garment designers · EURES

What does it pay?

Above average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €2,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €7,100 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually a degree

A degree is the usual route.

Highest qualification of science and engineering professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 90%Vocational 6%General secondary 3%Basic schooling 1%

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Little

AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.35 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 9 tasks
Detailing and documenting the selected design for production0.51
Preparing sketches, diagrams, illustrations, plans, samples and models to communicate design concepts0.43
Determining the objectives and constraints of the design brief by consulting with clients and stakeholders0.35
Negotiating design solutions with clients, management, and sales and manufacturing staff0.35
Harmonizing aesthetic considerations with technical, functional, ecological and production requirements0.35
Selecting, specifying and recommending functional and aesthetic materials, production methods and finishes for manufacture0.34
Formulating design concepts for clothing, textiles, industrial, commercial and consumer products, and jewellery0.32
Supervising the preparation of patterns, programmes and tooling, and of the manufacturing process0.30
Preparing and commissioning prototypes and samples0.20

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for product and garment designers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).