BLS metro-level wage data places Commercial and Industrial Designers pay in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN at a median of $95,160 per year ($45.75/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $83,910, Cincinnati pays +13% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 350 commercial and industrial designerss are employed across the Cincinnati MSA in SOC 27-1021.

The Cincinnati pay distribution spans from $53,170 at the 10th percentile to $134,580 at the 90th — a 2.5× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $70,970 and the 75th at $112,180, so half of Cincinnati-based commercial and industrial designerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide OH data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.