Career in Industrial Design: Salary Trends, Jobs & Roles 2026
Published by Shikha Kumari on Jan 13, 2025
Industrial design is a lucrative field for anyone who wants to blend their creativity with functionality to shape the products we use daily. In India, for the past few years this profession has seen significant growth which offers promising career opportunities for aspiring designers.
An average routine of an industrial designer includes a mix of creativity, research and problem solving. They create products that are both functional and aesthetically appealing. They usually use design softwares like AutoCAD, SolidWorks or Adobe illustrator for 3D modeling and prototyping. Sketching, drafting and creating digital models remains the basic task of industrial designers. However with the seniority of the role this can lead up to client interaction and regular collaboration with different departments of a firm. Nonetheless industrial designers’ work is engaging, making the profession both challenging and rewarding.
Salary Trends for Industrial Design in India
The salary for a designer is influenced by various factors depending upon experience, location, and specialization. While one can have a lower salary in the beginning of the career it can increase as they have more experience. In similar ways a person working in the metropolitan cities such as Mumbai or Delhi will have a higher salary. Candidates can refer to the following table to get the general idea of salary trends in India:
| Experience Level | Role | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-Level (0-5 years) | Design interns, Product Design engineers, Junior Industrial Design | INR 420,000 – INR 525,000 |
| Mid-Level (5-8 years) | Lead Product Designer, Design Specialist | INR 840,000 – INR 10,50,000 |
| Senior-Level (8+ years) | Design Manager | INR 10,50,000 – INR 12,60,000 |
Popular Job Roles in Industrial Design
Industrial design in itself is a huge field and offers a variety of roles starting from the role of Junior Industrial Designer who is concerned about appropriate manufacturing considerations. Senior CAD Designers who offer expertise in specialized software can have the highest paying career in industrial design with xyz LPA. Likewise, candidates with expertise in software like Solidworks, AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suit are offered higher salaries. Depending on the type of role the salary range can vary as can be followed by table:
| Job Role | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
|---|---|
| Design Manager | INR 8,40,000 – INR 15,75,000 |
| Junior Industrial Designer | INR 3,15,000 – INR 5,25,000 |
| Lead Product Designer | INR 7,35,000 – INR 12,60,000 |
| Project Manager (Design) | INR 8,40,000 – INR 15,75,000 |
| Senior Industrial Designer | INR 6,30,000 – INR 10,50,000 |
| CAD Designer | INR 3,15,000 – INR 5,78,000 |
| Product Design Engineer | INR 3,68,000 – INR 6,30,000 |
| Design Strategist | INR 8,40,000 – INR 16,80,000 |
Industrial Design College Placements in India
Candidates can have better placements and have a higher starting salaries if they are graduating from a top tier institution, such as the National Institute of Design (NID) where the top recruiters include Tata, Godrej or Flipkart. Here’s a comparison of some leading design colleges in India:
| College Name | Degrees Offered in Industrial Design | 2025 Average Placement Package (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Design (NID) | Bachelor of Design (B.Des) in Industrial Design Master of Design (M.Des) in Industrial Design | INR 4,20,000 – INR 31,50,000 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) | M.Des in Industrial Design (Offered by IIT Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur) | INR 23,00,000 |
| IVS School of Design | Diploma in Product Design | INR 5,40,000 |
| MAD Design Academy | Diploma in Industrial Design Certificate Course in Product Design | INR 3,70,000 |
| Universal School of Creative Arts | Certificate in Industrial Design | INR 4,00,000 |
| Dream Zone School of Creative Studies | Certificate Course in Design Thinking | INR 4,50,000 |
| Sir JJ College of Architecture | Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) Specialization in Industrial Design | INR 5,40,000 |
| Rubika | Bachelor of Design (B.Des) Master of Design (M.Des) in Industrial Design (Product / Transportation) | INR 3,90,000 |
If you are passionate about a blend of creativity and your own research, industrial designing offers a compelling avenue for you to explore.
Top Recruiters for Industrial Design Jobs
The graduates of industrial design courses are employed across various sectors such as electronic, consumer goods or the automotives. Here are some of the top recruiters offering lucrative career industrial design jobs:
| Electronics Recruiters | Voltas | Videocon | Bajaj |
| Samsung | LG Electronics | Sony | |
| Automotive Recruiters | Tata Motors | Mahindra and Mahindra | Hyundai |
| MG Motors | Kia | Honda | |
| Retail Goods Recruiters | Reliance Retail | Aditya Birla | ITC |
| Dabur | Hindustan Unilever | Godrej |
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