Design Industry Salary In India: Pay Scale, Skills, Job Details
As the design industry comes of age, job roles have diversified and with it the salary drawn by designers. Here we look at salary for various job roles, skill set required, and the process to get that desired job.
Design Industry Salary In India - As the study of design gains momentum in the country, there is now an increasing breed of students who want to know the kind of payscale they would get for their chosen specialization. For example, an aspiring fashion designer would like to know what is the average base salary in the profession. It is only natural because pursuing a design course from a top institute, say a NIFT, doesn’t come cheap. Also, who wouldn’t want to secure their future?
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A concurrent theme along with the curiosity about payscale is the skill set required to succeed in their chosen profession. After all, one can expect to get a good salary only if they complete their course with flying colors and possess all the desired skill sets and qualities aspired by a talent acquisition house or company.
SEED is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID). The scores of the exam are considered for admission to the B.Des programme offered by participating colleges. The SEED exam will be conducted on January 11, 2026.
The Bachelor of Design (B. Des) is a four-year course, that carries 160 credits. The under-graduate degree programmes is offered by SID and the degree is awarded by the Symbiosis International University (SIU), Pune.
The NID DAT 2025 Prelims exam will be conducted in a pen-and-paper based mode for B.Des and M.Des programmes.
The NID DAT 2025 Mains exam for the B. Des programme comprise a Studio Test, which will also be conducted offline mode. Meanwhile, the DAT Mains exam for the M.Des programme comprises a Studio Test and Interview, which will also be conducted offline.
The Studio Test may include multiple formats (Drawing/ Sketching/ Model Making). In case of the M.Des programme, candidates are shortlisted for the Interview based on the performance of the candidate in the Studio Test.
But before we discuss salary and the necessary skill set, let’s take a minute and take a look at the path to becoming a designer.
- How to become a designer
- Getting a design job (Placement process)
- Design Industry Salary for Different Job Types
- Skills Required for Specific Design Jobs
- Design Industry Salary In India - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to become a designer
To become a designer, the most obvious path these days is to get enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate design course, for example - B.Des, B.F.Tech. M.Des, or M.F.Tech.
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Admission to these courses in the top design institutes are conducted through entrance tests. For example, admission to the NIFTs is based on the NIFT entrance exam, while for admission to the NIDs, one needs to appear in the NID DAT entrance exam.
Here are some more entrance exams:
- SEED for admission to the Symbios Institute of Design
- Pearl Academy entrance exam for admission to the Pearl Academy.
- UCEED for admission to B.Des program at the IITs
- CEED for admission to the M.Des program at the IITs.
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Limited Seats, Register Now!Getting a design job (Placement process)
Candidates who complete their courses or are in the last semester of their academic program participate in a placement process. In the NIFTs, the placement process is conducted in two cycles.
Pearl Academy entrance exam is conducted in multiple cycles, in January, April and June. The candidate has the option to choose any of these cycles. Note that applications are received separately for each cycle.
The application form for the January cycle is expected to commence soon.
The counseling for UCEED 2026 will be conducted online as a Joint Seat Allocation process. The counseling will be conducted in a centralized manner.
IIT Bombay will conduct counseling registration from March 2026. All candidates who qualify in the UCEED 2026 exam will be eligible to register for counseling.
The allotment of seats for admission to the B.Des programme offered by participating colleges is based on the following parameters:
- UCEED 2026 merit rank of the candidate
- College option selected during registration.
The NID DAT entrance exam is conducted once every year.
The exam has two sub-exams - DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Candidates are shortlisted for DAT Mains based on their scores in DAT Prelims. NID DAT Prelims exam is conducted around December/ January.
In the first phase, pre-placement offers (PPO) are offered to candidates by participating companies on the basis of internships, projects, and training undertaken by the students with the particular company. In the next phase, the regular placement (campus placement) process is conducted.
Note that typically candidates placed in the PPO are not allowed to participate in the campus placement process.
Design Industry Salary for Different Job Types
| Job Role |
Average Base Salary Per Year |
| Design Intern |
INR 364,384 |
| Industrial Designer |
INR 603,770 |
| Senior UX Designer |
INR 1,161,430 |
| Graphic Designer |
INR 300,159 |
| Textile Designer |
INR 424,813 |
| Fashion Designer |
INR 368,686 |
| Product Designer |
INR 658,032 |
| Design Manager |
INR 1,187,789 |
| Interior Designer |
INR 306,757 |
| Design Architect |
INR 337,070 |
| Senior Interior Designer |
INR 593,917 |
| Creative Director |
INR 1,215,081 |
| Jewellery Designer |
INR 414,823 |
| Web Designer |
INR 285,125 |
| Senior Web Designer |
INR 569,928 |
| Design Engineer |
INR 379,524 |
Skills Required for Specific Design Jobs
The skill set required for a design-related job will vary from job role to job role. The skills sets required for a few typical design-industry jobs are described below.
| Job Role |
Skill set required |
| Fashion Designer |
To be a good fashion designer:
|
| Graphic Designer |
Hare are couple of skills sets a graphic designer must posses:
|
| Creative director |
The Creative Director is a senior position and needs some of the skills mentioned below:
|
| Design Intern |
The candidate must be comfortable using software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, inDesign, and ProCreate. |
| Product Designers |
The following skills are recommended:
|
| Jewellery Design |
The candidate must have the following skills:
|
| Textile Designer |
The candidate needs some of the following skills:
|
Design Industry Salary In India - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What is the average salary drawn by a graphic designer in India?
Q. Which job role is among the highest paying in the design industry?
Q. How much does a jewellery designer get?
Q. What kind of skills do I need to have to get a job in the design industry?
Q. How can I get a job in the design industry?
