Interior Designers
Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) earn a median $67,190 a year ($32.31 an hour) in the United States, with 71,500 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What interior designers do
Interior designers plan, design, and furnish the inside of rooms or buildings, producing interior environments and layouts that are practical, attractive, and suited to how the space will be used. Some focus on one field, style, or phase of interior design, and alternate titles include commercial interior designer, certified kitchen designer, and bathroom designer. They meet with clients about factors such as budget, architectural preferences, purpose, and function, advise on space planning, furniture and equipment layout, and color coordination, and design plans that are safe and meet the Americans with Disabilities Act. They research health and safety code requirements, use computer-aided drafting software to produce construction documents, review and detail shop drawings, coordinate with contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, and inspect construction work on site to confirm it follows the design plans. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers are counted separately.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Bathroom Designer, Certified Kitchen Designer, Color and Materials Designer, Commercial Interior Designer, Decorating Consultant.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.91 | $24.92 | $32.31 | $41.22 | $54.87 | $35.84 | 71,500 |
| Annual | $41,420 | $51,840 | $67,190 | $85,740 | $114,140 | $74,540 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where interior designers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $32.18 | $36.53 | $47.33 | $61.09 | $67.73 | $49.06 | 620 | 0.88 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $66,930 | $75,980 | $98,450 | $127,070 | $140,870 | $102,040 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $10.24 | $30.92 | $46.20 | $50.56 | $70.00 | $42.91 | 90 | 0.33 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $21,290 | $64,300 | $96,100 | $105,160 | $145,600 | $89,250 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $24.49 | $30.47 | $38.57 | $49.49 | $63.35 | $43.14 | 8,500 | 0.47 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $50,940 | $63,370 | $80,230 | $102,940 | $131,770 | $89,740 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $25.11 | $29.64 | $38.52 | $45.87 | $59.18 | $40.23 | 1,580 | 0.44 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $52,230 | $61,640 | $80,110 | $95,410 | $123,100 | $83,670 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $23.48 | $29.71 | $37.69 | $49.29 | $64.33 | $41.80 | 2,300 | 0.80 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $48,830 | $61,790 | $78,390 | $102,510 | $133,810 | $86,940 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $24.49 | $30.47 | $38.57 | $49.49 | $63.35 | $43.14 | 8,500 | 0.47 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $50,940 | $63,370 | $80,230 | $102,940 | $131,770 | $89,740 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.77 | $22.73 | $29.26 | $38.12 | $46.60 | $31.72 | 7,410 | 0.75 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $39,050 | $47,270 | $60,860 | $79,300 | $96,930 | $65,980 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.96 | $23.64 | $31.33 | $39.35 | $49.93 | $34.66 | 6,450 | 0.46 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $39,430 | $49,180 | $65,160 | $81,850 | $103,850 | $72,090 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.30 | $23.55 | $36.34 | $44.76 | $60.39 | $36.30 | 5,340 | 0.55 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $35,990 | $48,980 | $75,580 | $93,100 | $125,620 | $75,510 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $21.73 | $25.36 | $34.50 | $45.45 | $59.53 | $37.82 | 3,050 | 0.62 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $45,190 | $52,750 | $71,760 | $94,530 | $123,820 | $78,660 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $29.91 | $36.84 | $42.05 | $59.82 | $72.00 | $47.77 | 1,810 | 0.76 | 1.66 |
| Annual | $62,220 | $76,620 | $87,460 | $124,420 | $149,760 | $99,350 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $30.50 | $36.78 | $40.93 | $48.45 | $67.09 | $48.55 | 340 | 0.30 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $63,440 | $76,500 | $85,140 | $100,770 | $139,550 | $100,980 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $25.28 | $30.10 | $39.17 | $45.87 | $60.21 | $41.08 | 1,290 | 0.48 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $52,570 | $62,610 | $81,480 | $95,410 | $125,240 | $85,450 | ||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $26.31 | $30.66 | $38.87 | $47.71 | $53.12 | $39.25 | 90 | 0.47 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $54,730 | $63,780 | $80,850 | $99,250 | $110,490 | $81,650 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $27.51 | $31.90 | $38.77 | $45.50 | $51.91 | $41.52 | 820 | 0.53 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $57,220 | $66,360 | $80,640 | $94,640 | $107,970 | $86,370 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $19.82 | $23.92 | $36.82 | $46.35 | $60.57 | $37.39 | 5,460 | 0.58 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $41,220 | $49,750 | $76,580 | $96,400 | $125,990 | $77,780 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $20.07 | $28.17 | $38.46 | $55.38 | $63.16 | $42.49 | 3,880 | 0.62 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $41,740 | $58,600 | $80,000 | $115,180 | $131,360 | $88,370 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $18.09 | $22.73 | $29.26 | $38.65 | $45.52 | $31.06 | 3,090 | 1.10 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $37,630 | $47,270 | $60,860 | $80,390 | $94,680 | $64,600 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $23.07 | $27.33 | $34.85 | $46.45 | $60.03 | $38.70 | 2,430 | 0.84 | 1.83 |
| Annual | $47,980 | $56,840 | $72,490 | $96,620 | $124,850 | $80,490 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $18.96 | $26.73 | $31.33 | $39.44 | $55.68 | $35.43 | 2,420 | 0.60 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $39,430 | $55,590 | $65,160 | $82,030 | $115,810 | $73,690 | ||||
Top industries employing interior designers
Specialized Design Services employ 42.1% of interior designers nationally (30,100 jobs) at a median $67,870 a year ($32.63 an hour), followed by Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (19.6%) and Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers (9.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Design Services NAICS 541400 | 30,100 | 42.1% | $67,870 | $32.63 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 14,030 | 19.6% | $78,340 | $37.67 |
| Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers NAICS 449100 | 6,630 | 9.3% | $52,000 | $25.00 |
| Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100 | 4,770 | 6.7% | $63,080 | $30.33 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers NAICS 444100 | 4,360 | 6.1% | $48,460 | $23.30 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (71,500). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $60,340 for interior designers in May 2021 and $67,190 in May 2025, with employment of 61,970 and 71,500.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $60,340 | $29.01 | 61,970 |
| May 2022 | $61,590 | $29.61 | 64,290 |
| May 2023 | $62,510 | $30.05 | 67,760 |
| May 2024 | $63,490 | $30.52 | 69,580 |
| May 2025 | $67,190 | $32.31 | 71,500 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $47.33 | $98,450 | $66,930 | $140,870 | 620 | 0.88 | 1.92 |
| 2 | Wyoming profile | $46.20 | $96,100 | $21,290 | $145,600 | 90 | 0.33 | 0.72 |
| 3 | California profile | $38.57 | $80,230 | $50,940 | $131,770 | 8,500 | 0.47 | 1.02 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $38.52 | $80,110 | $52,230 | $123,100 | 1,580 | 0.44 | 0.95 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $37.69 | $78,390 | $48,830 | $133,810 | 2,300 | 0.80 | 1.74 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $36.81 | $76,570 | $48,050 | $109,820 | 1,330 | 0.37 | 0.81 |
| 7 | Illinois profile | $36.68 | $76,290 | $44,620 | $131,990 | 2,570 | 0.42 | 0.92 |
| 8 | New York profile | $36.34 | $75,580 | $35,990 | $125,620 | 5,340 | 0.55 | 1.20 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $35.59 | $74,020 | $46,890 | $134,780 | 1,670 | 0.39 | 0.85 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $35.23 | $73,270 | $41,280 | $103,010 | 1,220 | 0.41 | 0.90 |
| 11 | Georgia profile | $34.50 | $71,760 | $45,190 | $123,820 | 3,050 | 0.62 | 1.36 |
| 12 | Arkansas profile | $33.65 | $69,990 | $45,390 | $137,160 | 740 | 0.57 | 1.24 |
| 13 | Oklahoma profile | $32.94 | $68,520 | $38,460 | $105,380 | 490 | 0.29 | 0.62 |
| 14 | Connecticut profile | $32.37 | $67,330 | $44,320 | $117,610 | 630 | 0.37 | 0.80 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $31.90 | $66,350 | $48,570 | $104,040 | 1,030 | 0.52 | 1.14 |
| 16 | South Dakota profile | $31.36 | $65,220 | $46,650 | $124,490 | 150 | 0.33 | 0.72 |
| 17 | Texas profile | $31.33 | $65,160 | $39,430 | $103,850 | 6,450 | 0.46 | 1.00 |
| 18 | Maryland profile | $31.29 | $65,070 | $45,850 | $99,330 | 1,440 | 0.52 | 1.13 |
| 19 | Nebraska profile | $31.19 | $64,870 | $43,840 | $100,200 | 430 | 0.42 | 0.91 |
| 20 | New Hampshire profile | $30.84 | $64,140 | $38,330 | $97,070 | 300 | 0.44 | 0.95 |
| 21 | Vermont profile | $30.71 | $63,870 | $43,600 | $136,150 | 110 | 0.35 | 0.76 |
| 22 | Maine profile | $30.69 | $63,830 | $34,280 | $93,840 | 230 | 0.36 | 0.78 |
| 23 | South Carolina profile | $30.67 | $63,790 | $40,720 | $101,360 | 940 | 0.41 | 0.89 |
| 24 | Hawaii profile | $30.66 | $63,780 | $45,930 | $121,480 | 270 | 0.44 | 0.95 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $30.61 | $63,660 | $40,240 | $101,460 | 1,530 | 0.47 | 1.01 |
| 26 | Alaska profile | $30.44 | $63,320 | $44,980 | $114,740 | 40 | 0.12 | 0.27 |
| 27 | Wisconsin profile | $30.17 | $62,740 | $35,740 | $99,940 | 1,200 | 0.41 | 0.89 |
| 28 | Indiana profile | $30.09 | $62,580 | $40,860 | $94,750 | 1,020 | 0.32 | 0.69 |
| 29 | Virginia profile | $30.08 | $62,560 | $43,230 | $100,030 | 1,550 | 0.38 | 0.82 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.00 | $62,400 | $44,470 | $97,820 | 1,820 | 0.30 | 0.65 |
| 31 | Montana profile | $29.70 | $61,770 | $31,540 | $86,070 | 290 | 0.57 | 1.24 |
| 32 | Utah profile | $29.68 | $61,740 | $48,130 | $96,590 | 1,110 | 0.64 | 1.39 |
| 33 | Arizona profile | $29.55 | $61,460 | $48,380 | $97,850 | 1,600 | 0.49 | 1.07 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | $29.52 | $61,410 | $47,080 | $103,530 | 2,180 | 0.39 | 0.86 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $29.52 | $61,400 | $39,870 | $100,450 | 2,610 | 0.53 | 1.15 |
| 36 | Kansas profile | $29.37 | $61,090 | $43,040 | $94,380 | 400 | 0.28 | 0.61 |
| 37 | Alabama profile | $29.35 | $61,050 | $32,560 | $103,030 | 620 | 0.30 | 0.64 |
| 38 | Florida profile | $29.26 | $60,860 | $39,050 | $96,930 | 7,410 | 0.75 | 1.62 |
| 39 | New Mexico profile | $29.25 | $60,850 | $41,480 | $90,540 | 90 | 0.10 | 0.23 |
| 40 | Louisiana profile | $29.14 | $60,610 | $37,500 | $81,280 | 350 | 0.18 | 0.40 |
| 41 | Delaware profile | $29.02 | $60,360 | $48,770 | $86,890 | 190 | 0.39 | 0.84 |
| 42 | Missouri profile | $28.66 | $59,610 | $44,360 | $103,440 | 1,010 | 0.34 | 0.74 |
| 43 | Michigan profile | $28.53 | $59,340 | $32,800 | $97,400 | 1,930 | 0.44 | 0.95 |
| 44 | Kentucky profile | $28.48 | $59,240 | $38,690 | $97,470 | 490 | 0.25 | 0.54 |
| 45 | North Dakota profile | $28.46 | $59,190 | $39,100 | $84,960 | 160 | 0.36 | 0.79 |
| 46 | Rhode Island profile | $27.93 | $58,100 | $50,270 | $99,990 | 550 | 1.09 | 2.37 |
| 47 | Iowa profile | $27.90 | $58,040 | $39,510 | $118,770 | 510 | 0.33 | 0.72 |
| 48 | West Virginia profile | $23.94 | $49,800 | $38,130 | $77,510 | 90 | 0.13 | 0.28 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $21.03 | $43,740 | $31,660 | $88,710 | 330 | 0.29 | 0.62 |
| – | Idaho profile | * | * | * | * | 350 | 0.40 | 0.88 |
| – | Nevada profile | * | * | * | * | 590 | 0.38 | 0.83 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-1020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-1025 Interior Designers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-1025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-1025.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.