Mechanical Drafters
82% skill match · $71,550 · −15% pay
First step
- A certification can help.
- On-the-job training: over 4 years, up to and including 10 years.
Skills to add
Programming
Is this right for you?
- Tight deadlines are common
Jobs for Former Commercial and Industrial Designers
Commercial and Industrial Designers build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and operations analysis skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Mechanical Drafters (82%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Skills you enjoy
Pick the skills you want to keep using. The list re-ranks.Sorted by skill match.
25 careers that use your skills
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Drafters | 82% | $71,550 | −15% | None |
| 2 | Materials Engineers | 80% | $112,860 | +35% | None |
| 3 | Industrial Engineers | 77% | $102,440 | +22% | None |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineers | 75% | $104,110 | +24% | None |
| 5 | Aerospace Engineers | 75% | $134,960 | +61% | None |
| 6 | Automotive Engineers | 73% | $104,110Pay for the broader BLS group “Mechanical Engineers” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Electrical and Electronics Drafters | 72% | $76,870 | −8% | None |
| 8 | Materials Scientists | 72% | $117,790 | +40% | None |
| 9 | Wind Energy Engineers | 72% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Mechatronics Engineers | 72% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
- 82%
- Median pay
- $71,550
- Pay change
- −15%
Extra educationNone - 80%
- Median pay
- $112,860
- Pay change
- +35%
Extra educationNone - 77%
- Median pay
- $102,440
- Pay change
- +22%
Extra educationNone - 75%
- Median pay
- $104,110
- Pay change
- +24%
Extra educationNone - 75%
- Median pay
- $134,960
- Pay change
- +61%
Extra educationNone - 73%
- Median pay
- $104,110
- Pay change
- Not compared
Extra educationNone - 72%
- Median pay
- $76,870
- Pay change
- −8%
Extra educationNone - 72%
- Median pay
- $117,790
- Pay change
- +40%
Extra educationNone - 72%
- Median pay
- $122,930
- Pay change
- Not compared
Extra educationNone - 72%
- Median pay
- $122,930
- Pay change
- Not compared
Extra educationNone
Compared with Commercial and Industrial Designers, median $83,910. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
Your transferable skills
How important each skill is in work as commercial and industrial designers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
Complex Problem Solving3.75
Judgment and Decision Making3.25
Operations Analysis3.25
Time Management3.25
Coordination3.12
Persuasion3.12
Skills to learn
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Evaluation
- Equipment Maintenance
- Installation
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
Your top 3 moves, up close
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
Materials Engineers
80% skill match · $112,860 · +35% pay
First step
- Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (80% of workers).
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
Skills to add
Operations Monitoring · Quality Control Analysis · Management of Material Resources
Is this right for you?
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
Industrial Engineers
77% skill match · $102,440 · +22% pay
First step
- Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (59% of workers).
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
Skills to add
Management of Material Resources · Instructing · Systems Evaluation
Is this right for you?
- Tight deadlines are common
Similar roles in the same field
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
Free help near you
Questions former commercial and industrial designers ask
What jobs can former commercial and industrial designers do?
The closest matches are Mechanical Drafters (82% skill match, median $71,550), Materials Engineers (80% skill match, median $112,860) and Industrial Engineers (77% skill match, median $102,440), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Which commercial and industrial designer career changes pay more?
Among the 25 matches, 11 pay more than commercial and industrial designers at the median. The biggest increases: Aerospace Engineers (+61%, $134,960), Chemical Engineers (+49%, $125,040) and Electrical Engineers (+44%, $120,630).
Do former commercial and industrial designers need another degree?
24 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. One usually needs a graduate degree: Architects, Except Landscape and Naval.
How is the skill match calculated?
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.