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Interior Designer

$67,190
median / year
$41,420 – $114,140
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Plan indoor spaces that are safe and functional, choosing layouts, colors, materials, and furniture.

You may also see this posted as: Designer, Interior Design Consultant, Interior Design Coordinator, Certified Kitchen Designer, Color and Materials Designer, Commercial Interior Designer.

Where you work

Design firms, plus client sites and showrooms.

The hours

Full-time, with some client evenings

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents.
  • Research health and safety code requirements to inform design.
  • Confer with client to determine factors affecting planning of interior environments, such as budget, architectural preferences, purpose, and function.
  • Advise client on interior design factors, such as space planning, layout and use of furnishings or equipment, and color coordination.

Good fit if you like…

Artistic

creating, designing, performing, or working without a rigid script

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailInnovationDependabilityCooperation

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Adobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopAutodesk AutoCADAutodesk Revit

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$67,190
per year
Hourly median
$32.31
per hour
What most earn
$41,420–$114,140
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~7,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+3.2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
71,500
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 21.2% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

Some states register or license interior designers, especially for commercial work.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Space planningDesign softwareColor and materialsClient relations

The honest take

Creative and client-driven work where reputation and referrals shape how much you earn.

Standard Occupational Classification 27-1025. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.