Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Interior Designer

Find Schools Near

What Do Interior Designer Do?

Example of Interior Designer Job Plan, design, and furnish interiors of residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. Formulate design which is practical, aesthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity, selling merchandise, or improving life style. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.

Life As an Interior Designer

  • Plan and design interior environments for boats, planes, buses, trains, and other enclosed spaces.
  • Advise client on interior design factors such as space planning, layout and use of furnishings or equipment, and color coordination.
  • Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
  • Subcontract fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, art work, furniture, and related items.
  • Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art works, and accessories.
  • Design spaces to be environmentally friendly, using sustainable, recycled materials when feasible.

Interior Designer Needed Skills

These are the skills Interior Designers say are the most useful in their careers:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

  • Interior Design Principal
  • Showroom Executive Director
  • Room Designer
  • Lighting Designer
  • Color Expert

Is There Going to be Demand for Interior Designers?

In the United States, there were 66,500 jobs for Interior Designer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.5% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,000 new jobs for Interior Designer by 2026. There will be an estimated 6,500 positions for Interior Designer per year.

undefined

The states with the most job growth for Interior Designer are Utah, Oregon, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Mississippi, Pennsylvania, or Wyoming. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does an Interior Designer Make?

The average yearly salary of an Interior Designer ranges between $29,970 and $94,130.

undefined

Interior Designers who work in District of Columbia, Alaska, or Rhode Island, make the highest salaries.

How much do Interior Designers make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $57,780
Alaska $71,150
Arkansas $66,840
California $68,440
Colorado $58,580
Delaware $59,240
District of Columbia $79,230
Florida $50,410
Georgia $53,800
Hawaii $65,300
Idaho $54,380
Illinois $52,150
Indiana $42,610
Iowa $44,800
Kansas $54,630
Kentucky $52,590
Louisiana $42,210
Maine $46,180
Maryland $66,140
Massachusetts $66,250
Michigan $51,030
Minnesota $61,220
Mississippi $56,960
Missouri $60,570
Montana $58,550
Nebraska $45,200
Nevada $56,520
New Hampshire $54,020
New Jersey $57,980
New Mexico $52,370
New York $66,790
North Carolina $54,650
North Dakota $48,960
Ohio $55,230
Oklahoma $47,630
Oregon $57,100
Pennsylvania $57,730
Rhode Island $75,110
South Carolina $47,680
South Dakota $57,620
Tennessee $49,590
Texas $56,430
Utah $62,220
Vermont $53,720
Virginia $52,670
Washington $63,480
West Virginia $52,490
Wisconsin $47,580
Wyoming $60,550

What Tools & Technology do Interior Designers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Interior Designers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Web browser software
  • Email software
  • Microsoft Project
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
  • IBM Notes
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
  • Autodesk Revit
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
  • McNeel Rhino software
  • Autodesk 3ds Max
  • MAXON CINEMA 4D

Becoming an Interior Designer

Education needed to be an Interior Designer:

undefined

What work experience do I need to become an Interior Designer?

undefined

Where Interior Designers Are Employed

undefined

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

undefined

Similar Careers

Those interested in being an Interior Designer may also be interested in:

Career changers with experience as an Interior Designer sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: Szilas in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.