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Industrial Designer

Industrial Designer profiles score highest on Exploring and Creating. This page covers what the work involves, what the trait profile looks like, what it pays, and where the fit tends to break.

Median pay
$83,910per year, U.S. BLS 2025
Entry education
Bachelor's degreetypical for the occupation

SOURCE · O*NET 27-1021.00 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures are national and vary widely by state and setting.

What the work involves

Design and develop manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.

Skills rated most important

Active Listening75
Reading Comprehension72
Complex Problem Solving69
Critical Thinking69
Speaking63

Work context

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams100
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled99
Contact With Others85
Spend Time Sitting85
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled35
Spend Time Walking or Running27
Spend Time Standing26
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body9
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance6
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles5
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling5

O*NET importance and frequency ratings, 0–100.

The trait profile

Where Industrial Designer profiles sit on the eleven Haliscope traits, derived from O*NET’s published interest and work-style data.

Exploring80
Creating75
Operating60
Analyzing51
Persevering51
Influencing45
Organizing41
Harmonizing35
Safety-Seeking33
Law-Abiding31
Helping15

Who it fits, and who it doesn’t

Strong signals

  • High Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.
  • High Organizing. Measures your preference for structure, detail, and systematic processes. High scorers excel at creating order, optimizing workflows, and maintaining precision.
  • High Exploring. Measures your openness to new experiences and curiosity about the unknown. High scorers seek novelty, enjoy experimentation, and value the journey itself.
  • High Persevering. Measures your persistence and resilience in the face of challenges. High scorers push through obstacles, maintain long-term focus, and value grit as both means and end.
  • High Influencing. Measures your drive to lead, persuade, and shape outcomes. High scorers are confident communicators who naturally take charge and direct others.

Friction points

  • Low Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.
  • Low Organizing. Measures your preference for structure, detail, and systematic processes. High scorers excel at creating order, optimizing workflows, and maintaining precision.
  • Low Exploring. Measures your openness to new experiences and curiosity about the unknown. High scorers seek novelty, enjoy experimentation, and value the journey itself.

These are what the occupation’s profile says, not a hiring criterion. Haliscope is not validated for hiring or screening, and none of these is disqualifying — they are where a fit most often breaks.

Getting in

Entry education: Bachelor's degree.

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

O*NET Job Zone descriptions, U.S. Department of Labor.

Exposure to AI

How much of this work AI can already do, and how much AI tools help the people doing it, is scored task by task in the AI Risk Index.

Will AI replace Industrial Designer?

Is this profile yours?

Take the assessment and see your eleven scores against this occupation and every other one Haliscope scores. A preview of your results is free; the full report is $10.00.

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