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Interior Architecture

Types of Degrees Interior Architecture Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Interior Architecture have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	18
Bachelor’s Degree	637
Master’s Degree	101

What Interior Architecture Majors Need to Know

Studies in Interior Architecture build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Interior Architecture graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Interior Architecture emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Interior Architecture program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Interior Architecture careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Interior Architecture graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Interior Architecture professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Interior Architecture graduates include:

• Landscape Architecture Professor
• Architecture Professor
• Interior Design Professor
• College Professor
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Architecture Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Interior Design Faculty Member
• Adjunct Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• Architecture Instructor
• Architectural Drafting Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Interior Architecture graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.6%
Master’s degree	18.0%
Doctoral degree	16.6%
First professional degree	9.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
Postsecondary certificate	1.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Some college courses	0.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Interior Architecture?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 89.9% of Interior Architecture degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	680	89.9%
Men	76	10.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Interior Architecture graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	484	64.0%
Asian	45	6.0%
Hispanic or Latino	95	12.6%
Black or African American	42	5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	22	2.9%
Race Unknown	16	2.1%
International Students	49	6.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Interior Architecture Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Interior Architecture graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$45,062
4 years	$55,703
5 years	$59,597

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,597 — roughly 32% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Interior Architecture Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Interior Architecture. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Interior Architecture Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Interior Architecture graduates earn a median of $55,703 four years after completion — roughly 47% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Architecture and Related Services	04
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation	04.08
Architectural Sciences and Technology	04.09
Architecture and Related Services, Other	04.99
ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES	04.00
Architecture	04.02
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	04.03
Environmental Design	04.04
Landscape Architecture	04.06
Real Estate Development	04.10

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.