Interior Designers earn a median of $67,190 per year ($32.31/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 2.7% through 2035, with about 7,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-1025
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Interior Designer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $67,190a year, or $32.31/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $41KTop 10% $114K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.7%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,70097,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202597.1K
- Projected 203599.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 97.1K Projected 2035 99.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college4%
- Associate's4%
- Bachelor's84%
- Master's4%
- Professional degree4%
Highest education held by interior designers Segment Value Some college 4% Associate's 4% Bachelor's 84% Master's 4% Professional degree 4%
Also advertised as: Certified Kitchen Designer, Color and Materials Designer, Commercial Interior Designer, Decorating Consultant, Designer, Interior Decorator.
Pay
How much do Interior Designers make?
Every interior designer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$67,190
Middle half earn $51,840 to $85,740
- 10th
- $41,420
- 25th
- $51,840
- 75th
- $85,740
- 90th
- $114,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $41,420 |
| 25th | $51,840 |
| Median | $67,190 |
| 75th | $85,740 |
| 90th | $114,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $67,190
- Median hourly wage
- $32.31/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $74,540
- People employed
- 71,500
Versus all US occupations
At $67,190, Interior Designers earn 32% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $16,210 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
The median is typical for the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $114,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $41,420, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 42% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($98,450), but once local prices are taken into account Wyoming leads at $103,678 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Interior Designers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $98,450 | $89,581 | 620 |
| 2Wyoming | $96,100 | $103,678 | 90 |
| 3California | $80,230 | $72,462 | 8,500 |
| 4Massachusetts | $80,110 | $75,749 | 1,580 |
| 5Colorado | $78,390 | $76,068 | 2,300 |
| 6Washington | $76,570 | $71,552 | 1,330 |
| 7Illinois | $76,290 | $76,322 | 2,570 |
| 8New York | $75,580 | $70,033 | 5,340 |
| 9New Jersey | $74,020 | $68,030 | 1,670 |
| 10Minnesota | $73,270 | $74,295 | 1,220 |
Job outlook
Is Interior Designer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Interior Designers | +2.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Interior Designers to change 2.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,700 openings are projected each year, 7.9% of the 97,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Homeowners and companies are expected to need services provided by interior designers to help with renovation projects. A greater focus on building codes, as well as the need to design spaces that meet accessibility standards, may also help to create jobs for these workers.
Getting in
How to become an Interior Designer
Interior designers typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as interior designers.
- Bachelor's Degree84%
- Some College Courses4%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree4%
- Master's Degree4%
- First Professional Degree4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 84% |
| Some College Courses | 4% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 4% |
| Master's Degree | 4% |
| First Professional Degree | 4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Interior Designer do?
Plan, design, and furnish the internal space of rooms or buildings. Design interior environments or create physical layouts that are practical, aesthetic, and conducive to the intended purposes. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.
Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items, such as colors, lighting, and materials. They must be able to draw, read, and edit blueprints. They also must be aware of building codes, inspection regulations, and other considerations, such as accessibility standards.
Day-to-day tasks
- Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
- 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.
- Coordinate with other professionals, such as contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, to ensure job success.
- Review and detail shop drawings for construction plans.
- Inspect construction work on site to ensure its adherence to the design plans.
- Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Interior designers may need to adjust their workday to suit their clients’ schedules and deadlines, including meeting with clients in the evening and on weekends.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where interior designers work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Specialized design services30%
- Self-employed workers26%
- Architectural, engineering, and related services14%
- Retail trade12%
- Construction6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Specialized design services | 30% |
| Self-employed workers | 26% |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 14% |
| Retail trade | 12% |
| Construction | 6% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Writing3.6
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Mathematics3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Coordination3.8
- Service Orientation3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Persuasion3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Time Management3.4
- Negotiation3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Time Management | 3.4 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Internet browser software
- Video creation and editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Interior Designer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Interior Designer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 6 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Artistic5.6
- Realistic4.1
- Conventional3.8
- Enterprising3.7
- Investigative3.1
- Social2.7
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Interior Designer
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Architecture and Engineering
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with interior designers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Interpreter and Translator$60,170
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Interpreter and Translator | $60,170 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Interior Designer appears on
Questions
Interior Designer: frequently asked questions
How much do Interior Designers make?
Interior Designers earn a median of $67,190 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 32% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $32.31/hr. The middle half earn between $51,840 and $85,740. The top 10% earn $114,140 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Interior Designer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Interior Designers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 84.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Interior Designer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.7% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Interior Designer do?
Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items, such as colors, lighting, and materials. A core O*NET task: design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Desktop publishing software, Document management software.
Which states pay Interior Designers the most?
The highest state medians for Interior Designers are District of Columbia ($98,450), Wyoming ($96,100), California ($80,230) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Wyoming moves to the top at $103,678.
What personality type suits an Interior Designer?
O*NET scores Interior Designers highest on the Artistic, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTP, INFP, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.