Interior Design Job Outlook
Job Outlook for Interior Designers
An interior designer is hired by clients to help envision, design and create spaces that are both beautiful and functional. Every day across the globe, interior designers are hired to help clients with a variety of spaces. This includes homes and apartments, large corporate workspaces and restaurants.
The following is a list of key roles and responsibilities of a professional interior designer:
- Room sketches
- Identify design trends, fabrics and furniture styles
- Develop pricing models and contracts
- Describe color theory and how to work with lighting
- Discuss the different window and wall treatments available
- Working with contractors and other vendors
- Shopping for furniture, home decor, and other items
- Make a final project presentation to clients
Careers in Interior Design
After graduating from NYIAD’s interior design course, there are several different career paths you will be fully qualified to pursue.
One option is to work for a large, established design firm. Your entry level title will most often be “design associate”. As a design associate, you would be responsible for specific design projects on the firm’s behalf. The average starting salary for interior designers in this role is $45,084.1
Another option would be to work as a Resident Designer at a furnishing or home goods store. In this role, you would serve as a “design consultant." You would work on-site to help clients pick out pieces and arrange them in whatever space they’re looking to update.
Finally, the most common career path chosen by NYIAD students is to launch and run your own interior design business. As the leader of your own firm, you are free to find clients of your own. You can draw up interior design agreements and execute all the planning independently.
Average Interior Design Salary
According to Payscale, the salary for an interior designer ranges between $41,000 - $78,000.2 The average salary of an interior designer is $56,612.2 The New York Institute of Art and Design’s Interior Designer Course prepares you to sit for your RIDQC certification, which can help distinguish your resume and provide greater earning potential over your career.3
The New York Institute of Art and Design's online Interior Design Course will teach you all the skills necessary to dive into this exciting field.
Sources:
1 Payscale. "Average Entry-Level Interior Designer Salary." Accessed February 13, 2024.
2 Payscale. “Average Interior Designer Salary.” Accessed February 13, 2024.
3 Residential Interior Design Qualifying Certification. “RIDQC Benefits”. Accessed February 13, 2024.
Statements found on Payscale are not a guarantee of any post-graduation salary, in part because the data used includes workers from differing educational backgrounds, levels of experience, and geographic areas of the country. Statistics found on Payscale are based on their data collection methodologies, which may or may not reflect your area.
NYIAD offers 12 great online design courses to choose from. Plus, you can save 25% off the price of the course if you enroll in two courses at the same time.
