Interior Architecture

Types of Degrees Interior Architecture Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many interior architecture graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	545
Master’s Degree	168
Associate Degree	7
Basic Certificate	4
Undergraduate Certificate	3
Graduate Certificate	1

What Interior Architecture Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, interiors majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Interiors Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Interiors Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to interiors:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Interiors Majors

A major in interiors will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Interior Architecture Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with interiors:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Architecture Professors	10.5%	$86,980
Interior Designers	4.5%	$53,370

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Architecture?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 545 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture in 2021, making it rank #200 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 91% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of interiors majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	24
Black or African American	16
Hispanic or Latino	56
White	404
International Students	25
Other Races/Ethnicities	20

Geographic Diversity

Interiors appeals to people across the globe. About 4.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• India
• Canada

How Much Do Interior Architecture Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that interior architecture students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $39,968 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $35,983 (25th percentile) and $43,730 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a interiors degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Interiors majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $59,120 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Interior Architecture

Some degrees associated with interiors may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to interiors have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	54.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	6.2%
Master’s Degree	18.7%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	4.9%
Doctoral Degree	10.8%

Online Interior Architecture Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 53 schools offered some type of interior architecture program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	3	0
Bachelor’s Degree	3	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	19	0
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Interior Architecture Worth It?

The median salary for a interiors grad is $99,320 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 149% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,188,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Interior Architecture

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to interiors.

Major	Number of Grads
Architectural Sciences & Technology	6,781
General Architecture	4,982
Urban & Regional Planning	2,419
Landscape Architecture	905
Environmental Design	741
Real Estate Development	420
Architecture (Other)	202
Architectural History	147

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Luis NГєГ±ez under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.