Interior Designers
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.
What it pays
Interior Designers earn a median of $32.31/hr — about $67,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.91/hr; the top 10% earn $54.87/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Interior Designers earn a median of $32.31/hr — about $67,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.91/hr; the top 10% earn $54.87/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents.
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
Time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 21.2% of interior designers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are creative, hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Graphic Designers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Writers and Authors
- Editors
- Commercial and Industrial Designers
- Producers and Directors
Quick questions
- How much does a interior designer make?
- The median pay is $32.31 per hour — roughly $67,000 a year, with the real range running from about $19.91/hr (10th percentile) to $54.87/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a interior designer?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a interior designer actually do all day?
- Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents. Research health and safety code requirements to inform design.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.