design engineer
Design engineers develop new conceptual and detailed designs. They create the look for these concepts or products and the systems used to make them. Design engineers work with engineers and marketers to enhance the functioning and efficiency of existing devices.
design engineer design engineers develop new conceptual and detailed designs. They create the look for these concepts or products and the systems used to make them. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include engineering principles, circular economy, mathematics, design principles, technical drawings.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £48,776 a year for Engineering professionals n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £39,653 to £61,717 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2129). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only design engineer, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Design
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
What you'd actually do
- Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
- Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
- Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
- Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
- Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does design engineer do?
Design engineers develop new conceptual and detailed designs. They create the look for these concepts or products and the systems used to make them. Design engineers work with engineers and marketers to enhance the functioning and efficiency of existing devices.
What skills does design engineer need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include engineering principles, circular economy, mathematics, design principles, technical drawings, project management. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace design engineer?
Our AI-durability model gives design engineer a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.