jobfacts

Design occupations n.e.c.

SOC 2020 3429

Job holders in this unit group plan, direct and undertake the creation of designs for new industrial and commercial products, stage sets, and other areas not elsewhere classified in minor group 342: Design occupations.

Also calledProduct designerIndustrial designer3D designerPrototype designerInventorSet designerand 54 more titles
Typical full-time pay£39,8002025 Provisional
People in the job39,000across the UK
New adverts a month793↑ 17%on last year · 213th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time design occupations n.e.c. earn, 2025
£39,800 typical£27,700lowest 10%£32,30025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£27,700
Lowest 20% earn less than£31,300
25%£32,300
Median£39,800
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Many (30%) of design occupations n.e.c. work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed design occupations n.e.c. earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £39,800
London!£43,800
North West!£38,800
South East!£37,400
East Midlands!£33,500
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £39,800
London£43,800 (small sample)
North West£38,800 (small sample)
South East£37,400 (small sample)
East Midlands£33,500 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £38,600
  • 2024 £39,400
  • 2025 Provisional£39,800
↑ 3.1% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 793 jobs for design occupations n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,095
Jul 20261,165
Jun 2026963
May 2026738
Apr 2026678
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026536
Jan 2026686
Dec 2025388
Nov 2025894
Oct 2025840
Sept 2025742
Aug 2025796
Jul 2025964
Jun 2025910
May 2025922
Apr 2025572
Mar 2025795
Feb 2025800
Jan 2025484
Dec 2024360
Nov 2024499
Oct 2024606
Sept 2024563
Aug 2024582
Jul 2024638
Jun 2024580
May 2024749
Apr 2024702
Mar 2024637
Feb 2024703
Jan 2024831
Dec 2023645
Nov 2023645
Oct 2023712
Sept 2023575
Aug 2023726
Jul 2023703
Jun 20231,049
May 20231,111
Apr 2023808
Mar 2023987
Feb 20231,082
Jan 20231,270
Dec 20221,200
Nov 20221,211
Oct 20221,190
Sept 20221,199
Aug 20221,369
Jul 20221,323
Jun 20221,396
May 20221,764
Apr 20221,302
Mar 20221,610
Feb 20221,551
Jan 20221,637
Dec 20211,282
Nov 20211,260
Oct 20211,410
Sept 20211,241
Aug 20211,230
Jul 20211,454
Jun 20211,276
May 20211,405
Apr 20211,151
Mar 20211,582
Feb 2021946
Jan 2021990
Dec 2020730
Nov 2020727
Oct 2020962
Sept 2020854
Aug 2020709
Jul 2020718
Jun 2020675
May 2020792
Apr 2020692
Mar 20201,388
Feb 20201,636
Jan 20201,386
Dec 20191,153
Nov 20191,440
Oct 20191,428
Sept 20191,294
Aug 20191,361
Jul 20191,709
Jun 20191,641
May 20191,571
Apr 20191,207
Mar 20191,391
Feb 20191,459
Jan 20191,475
Dec 2018903
Nov 20181,135
Oct 20181,137
Sept 20181,222
Aug 20181,028
Jul 20181,188
Jun 20181,125
May 20181,300
Apr 20181,167
Mar 20181,484
Feb 20181,545
Jan 20181,402
Dec 20171,002
Nov 20171,234
Oct 20171,286
Sept 20171,232
Aug 20171,200
Jul 2017994
Jun 20171,409
May 20171,317
Apr 20171,409
Mar 20171,519
Feb 20171,365
Jan 20171,385
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
20%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for culture, media and sports occupations, which includes design occupations n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London839
Manchester91
Leeds55
Bristol, City of52
Birmingham45
Nottingham39
Glasgow City35
Liverpool33
Newcastle upon Tyne31
Sheffield27
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where design occupations n.e.c. are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 39 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from India, Germany, Nigeria, ranking it 152nd of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of design occupations n.e.c.
3.3%!
30%!
25%!
25%!
11%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–243.3% (small sample)
25–3430% (small sample)
35–4425% (small sample)
45–5425% (small sample)
55–6411% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent71%
Higher education below degree!2.8%
A levels or equivalent!13%
GCSEs or equivalent!12%
Other qualifications!2.1%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent71%
Higher education below degree2.8% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent13% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent12% (small sample)
Other qualifications2.1% (small sample)

Main employers: specialised design activities (6.9%), motion picture, video and television programme production activities (4.6%), engineering activities and related technical consultancy (4.4%), computer programming activities (3.2%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
71%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
3
from level 3, including degree apprenticeships
Apprenticeships take
2 to 4 years
typically
Self-employed
30%
of people in the job

Routes in

Product designer

You can get into this job through:

University

You could study a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject like:

  • design
  • product design
  • industrial product design
  • engineering

You could also do a course covering a particular industry, which includes design options, for example automotive engineering and furniture design.

You can improve your job prospects by getting work experience during your studies.

Your university careers service can help you to find suitable placements, internships and year in industry opportunities.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Product Design and Development Engineer Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This can take up to 5 years to complete and is a mix of workplace training with academic study at an approved university.

You might also apply to do a Model Making Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship. Training includes physical and digital model making, building prototypes and creating mock-ups.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Entering design competitions and exhibitions can be a good way of getting yourself noticed by employers.

You'll need to show employers that you have creative skills, technical knowledge and the ability to work to a design brief. This will usually involve presenting a portfolio of your design work to them.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Chartered Society of Designers for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can get more information about careers in product design from:

  • This is Engineering
  • Design Business Association
  • Neon

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for product designer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Set designer

You can get into this job through:

University

You can study for a higher national diploma or degree in a relevant subject, like:

  • fine art
  • interior design
  • architecture
  • 3D design
  • theatre design

You could also do a course in performing arts production or design for film and television at some universities, colleges and drama schools.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could do a creative course at college to learn some of the skills you'll need to get a trainee position.

Courses include:

  • production arts practice
  • art and design
  • photography
  • interior design
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Scenic Artist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, or Scenic Construction Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

These can take around 2 to 3 years to complete and are a mix of workplace training and off-site study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could get a junior position with a company and work your way up through training and promotion.

For example, you might start as a:

  • set designer's assistant
  • art department trainee
  • assistant prop maker
  • TV or film production runner
Volunteering

You'll find it useful to build a portfolio of your design work to show potential employers what you can do.

You can use examples from being involved in:

  • student theatre or film
  • local amateur or community theatre
  • low budget independent films

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

If you're aged between 16 and 30 and want to learn more about backstage careers in theatre, you could attend workshops and talks run by organisations like TheatreCraft.

Further information

You can find out more about working in television, theatre and film from:

  • ScreenSkills
  • Get Into Theatre
  • Into Film

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for set designer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Packaging technologist

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, a higher national diploma or a degree in packaging technology or packaging design.

Employers may also accept subjects like:

  • materials science
  • food technology
  • 3D design
  • chemistry
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You can apply for a Packaging Professional Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This can take 4 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and off-site study.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Work your way up

You could start as an assistant technologist or designer and do further training on the job to become a professional packaging technologist.

You can learn more about the packaging industry from the Packaging Group.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for packaging technologist. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

3 for this job
Level 6About 3½ yearsDegree

Product design and development engineer

You gain
BEng Honours or BSc Honours degree accredited by an Engineering Council licensed…
Leads to
IMechE
Details on Skills England
Level 6About 4 yearsDegree

Packaging professional

You gain
BSc (Hons) Packaging Professional
Leads to
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
Employers may ask for
Whilst any entry requirements will be a matter for individual employers and higher education institutions, typically an apprentice might be expected to have…
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • liaises with client to determine the purpose, cost, technical specification and potential uses/users of product
  • prepares sketches, designs, patterns, prototypes, mock-ups and storyboards for consideration by theatre/film director, management, sales department or a client
  • undertakes research to determine market trends, production requirements, availability of resources and formulates design concepts
  • specifies materials, production method and finish for aesthetic or functional effect, and oversees production of sample and/or finished product
  • observes and manages intellectual property issues
  • create many types of special effects make-up, which can include prosthetics
  • define, design and implement a creative visual merchandising strategy

Skills

  • conduct textile testing operations
  • develop textile colouring recipes
  • draw sketches to develop textile articles
  • draw sketches to develop textile articles using softwares
  • maintain work standards
  • use textile technique for hand-made products
  • conduct research on trends in design
  • decorate textile articles
  • design warp knit fabrics
  • design weft knitted fabrics
  • design woven fabrics
  • design yarns
  • determine suitability of materials
  • develop specifications of technical textiles

Knowledge

  • portfolio management in textile manufacturing
  • textile chemistry
  • textile marketing techniques
  • aesthetics
  • braiding technology
  • challenging issues in the textile industry
  • copyright legislation
  • design principles

Suits people who like

  • Creating and designing
  • Practical, hands-on work

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for culture, media and sports occupations, a group of 13 jobs that includes design occupations n.e.c..
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 10%about 79,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035442,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.