Art and Design Workers

How to become an Interior Designer

Official title: Interior Designers

Also called: Certified Kitchen Designer, Color and Materials Designer, Commercial Interior Designer, Decorating Consultant, Designer, Interior Decorator, Interior Design Consultant, Interior Design Coordinator, Interior Designer, Registered Interior Designer

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.

Main tasks

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.
Review and detail shop drawings for construction plans.
Inspect construction work on site to ensure its adherence to the design plans.

How to become one

Interior designers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Interior Designer.
College: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 32 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 24 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $67,190 a year The middle half earn $51,840 to $85,740.
About 97,100 people work in this job now, and about 99,700 are projected by 2035. (+2.7%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Interior Designer?

Interior designers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation.

How much does an Interior Designer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $67,190 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $51,840 to $85,740.

Is an Interior Designer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 97,100 to about 99,700 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Interior Designer?

Usually. 71% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Interior Designer?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.