Also called: Color, Materials and Finish Designer
Chooses the colors, materials, and surface finishes for products like phones, cars, and appliances.
A CMF designer works with swatches, material samples, and trend research to decide whether a speaker should be matte or glossy, fabric or aluminum. They visit suppliers and test how finishes wear over time. Their choices make products feel premium.
Estimate; common at tech and automotive companies.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in industrial, textile, or fashion design.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Industrial Design, Textile Design, Materials Science.
Growing about average. Growing specialty within product design.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI trend tools and material renders help; judging how finishes feel and work with suppliers on real samples stay human.
Classes: Chemistry, AP Studio Art, Fashion or textiles.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.