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Interior Designer

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What You Need to Know About Interior Designer

Career Description 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: What Do They Do?

  • Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents.
  • Review and detail shop drawings for construction plans.
  • Plan and design interior environments for boats, planes, buses, trains, and other enclosed spaces.
  • Inspect construction work on site to ensure its adherence to the design plans.
  • Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
  • Formulate environmental plan to be practical, esthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity or selling merchandise.

Qualities of an Interior Designer

Below is a list of the skills most Interior Designers say are important on the job.

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.

Other Interior Designer Job Titles

  • Showroom Executive Director
  • Kitchen Designer
  • Room Designer
  • Interior Design Consultant
  • Designer

Job Opportunities for Interior Designers

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 66,500 jobs in the United States for Interior Designer. 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. The BLS estimates 6,500 yearly job openings in this field.

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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.

What is the Average Salary of an Interior Designer

The salary for Interior Designers ranges between about $29,970 and $94,130 a year.

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

How much do Interior Designers make in different U.S. states?

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 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

Learn what Interior Designer education requirements there are.

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where Interior Designers Are Employed

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The table below shows the approximate number of Interior Designers employed by various industries.

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Those thinking about becoming an Interior Designer might also be interested in the following careers:

Those who work as an Interior Designer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

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

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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