What Does an Interior Designer Do?
Interior designers plan how the inside of a building works and looks, from floor plans and lighting layouts to finishes, furniture and fixtures. Commercial designers handle offices, hospitals, hotels and stores, producing construction documents in AutoCAD or Revit that contractors build from and checking them against building codes and ADA accessibility rules. Residential designers spend more time with homeowners, selecting materials and managing purchases and installations. The work goes beyond decorating because designers move walls, plan ceilings and lay out exit routes, and some states restrict who may use the title.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Certified Kitchen Designer, Color and Materials Designer, Commercial Interior Designer, Decorating Consultant, Designer, Interior Decorator, Interior Design Consultant, Interior Design Coordinator.
Interior Designer Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an interior designer include:
- Interview clients about budget, how the space will be used, how many people it must hold and the look they want.
- Measure and photograph existing spaces and draw accurate base plans.
- Develop space plans and furniture layouts that meet code requirements for egress, clearances and ADA accessibility.
- Produce construction drawings, reflected ceiling plans, wall views and finish schedules in Autodesk AutoCAD or Revit.
- Present concepts with mood boards, material samples and renderings built in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.
- Specify flooring, wallcovering, lighting, plumbing fixtures and furniture, and prepare budgets for client approval.
- Coordinate with architects, engineers and contractors on wall locations, power and data, and ceiling heights.
- Review shop drawings for millwork and custom furniture and mark up corrections.
- Place orders, track lead times and resolve backorders and damaged deliveries.
- Visit the site during construction to check work against the drawings and create punch lists.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an interior designer, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Autodesk AutoCAD and Revit for floor plans, interior wall drawings and construction documents
- Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for presentation boards and client packages
- Working knowledge of the International Building Code, fire and life safety requirements and ADA standards as they apply to interiors
- Material and finish knowledge, including durability, cleanability and flame-spread ratings for commercial use
- Space planning that solves circulation, storage and adjacency problems
- NCIDQ certification, required for licensure or registration in states that regulate interior design
- Managing client expectations when budget and taste pull in different directions
- Accurate budgeting and procurement tracking in Microsoft Excel
Education and Training
A bachelor's degree is the norm: about 84 percent of workers in this occupation report one, ideally from a program accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. Coursework covers drafting, space planning, building systems, codes, lighting, materials and design history, with studio projects that become your portfolio. After graduation, most designers work under a senior designer or architect while gaining the supervised experience needed for the NCIDQ exam. A number of states regulate interior design through licensing or title laws, so check your state's rules before calling yourself a registered or certified interior designer.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $51,840 - $85,740 per year, with a median of $67,190.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Interior Designers.
BLS projects employment of interior designers to grow about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,700 openings a year. Interior design employment is projected to grow as commercial construction, hospitality renovations, and residential remodeling projects drive demand for design services. The emphasis on creating healthy, productive work environments in the post-pandemic era has increased demand for workplace design specialists. Senior living facilities, healthcare environments, and hospitality venues represent growing market segments. Designers with expertise in sustainable design, universal accessibility, and biophilic design (incorporating natural elements) are particularly sought after. Career advancement typically leads to senior designer, design director, or firm ownership positions.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Interior designers.
Interior Designer Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $41,420 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $51,840 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $67,190 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $85,740 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $114,140 |
Highest-Paying States for Interior Designers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($98,450), Wyoming ($96,100), California ($80,230), Massachusetts ($80,110), Colorado ($78,390). Pay is lowest in Iowa ($58,040), West Virginia ($49,800), Mississippi ($43,740).
Median pay in all 49 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,050 |
| Alaska | $63,320 |
| Arizona | $61,460 |
| Arkansas | $69,990 |
| California | $80,230 |
| Colorado | $78,390 |
| Connecticut | $67,330 |
| Delaware | $60,360 |
| District of Columbia | $98,450 |
| Florida | $60,860 |
| Georgia | $71,760 |
| Hawaii | $63,780 |
| Illinois | $76,290 |
| Indiana | $62,580 |
| Iowa | $58,040 |
| Kansas | $61,090 |
| Kentucky | $59,240 |
| Louisiana | $60,610 |
| Maine | $63,830 |
| Maryland | $65,070 |
| Massachusetts | $80,110 |
| Michigan | $59,340 |
| Minnesota | $73,270 |
| Mississippi | $43,740 |
| Missouri | $59,610 |
| Montana | $61,770 |
| Nebraska | $64,870 |
| New Hampshire | $64,140 |
| New Jersey | $74,020 |
| New Mexico | $60,850 |
| New York | $75,580 |
| North Carolina | $61,400 |
| North Dakota | $59,190 |
| Ohio | $61,410 |
| Oklahoma | $68,520 |
| Oregon | $66,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,400 |
| Rhode Island | $58,100 |
| South Carolina | $63,790 |
| South Dakota | $65,220 |
| Tennessee | $63,660 |
| Texas | $65,160 |
| Utah | $61,740 |
| Vermont | $63,870 |
| Virginia | $62,560 |
| Washington | $76,570 |
| West Virginia | $49,800 |
| Wisconsin | $62,740 |
| Wyoming | $96,100 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as interior designers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 96% use email every day
- 88% are on the phone every day
- 88% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 84% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 78% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 76% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 52% usually work more than 40 hours a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 84% |
Tools and Software Interior Designers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy creative work and self-expression as well as hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Knowledge areas used most: Design, Customer and Personal Service, Building and Construction, English Language, Sales and Marketing.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for an Interior Designer Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 27-1025.00 (Interior Designers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.