Design occupations n.e.c.: pay and what the work involves

Occupation 3429 · Associate professional occupations

Design occupations n.e.c.

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.

How people enter it

Entrants have usually completed a foundation course, BTEC/SQA award, degree and/or postgraduate qualification. A variety of vocational qualifications are available.

What the work involves

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

Also called

Design consultant · Craft designer · Make-up artist (films) · Production designer (film, television production) · Visual merchandiser (design)

What it pays

Measure	Hours	Basis	Period	Value	Source
3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	None	2026-03	33,700.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	None	2026-03	34,800.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	None	2026-03	37,000.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	None	2026-03	2,100.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	None	2026-03	2,200.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	None	2026-03	39,100.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	None	2026-03	1,100.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Region	Measure	Hours	Value	Period
East	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	2,500.00	2026-03
East Midlands	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	withheld	2026-03
London	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	14,800.00	2026-03
North East	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	1,700.00	2026-03
North West	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	2,900.00	2026-03
Northern Ireland	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	2,100.00	2026-03
Scotland	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	2,200.00	2026-03
South East	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	4,700.00	2026-03
South West	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	1,800.00	2026-03
Wales	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	1,100.00	2026-03
West Midlands	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	1,500.00	2026-03
Yorkshire and The Humber	3429 : Design occupations n.e.c.	None	3,400.00	2026-03

Common questions

Does pay for design occupations n.e.c. vary by region?

ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 11 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.

Where do these pay figures come from?

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.

Classified alongside this

Clothing, fashion and accessories designers · Interior designers