Interior Designer
Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items.
What the job is
- The work
- Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items.
BLS
Interior Designers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Work environment
- Many interior designers work in specialized design services or in architectural, engineering, and related services.
BLS
Interior Designers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Good fit for
- Visual thinkers who are precise with measurements and like working with clients, architects and builders.
- Career cluster
- Arts, Entertainment, & Design
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025 (interior designers).
- Median pay
- $67,190 a year ($32.31 an hour)
BLS
Interior Designers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 97,100
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Training after hire
- None
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +3%, which BLS calls "as fast as average"
BLS
Interior Designers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +2,600 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
How to become one
- The usual route
- Interior designers typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation.
BLS
Interior Designers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- In short
- Interior designers typically need a bachelor's degree, often in fine arts or interior design. Licensing depends on the state: some let only licensed designers do the work, some only protect the title, and some have no rule. Regulated jurisdictions require the NCIDQ exam (California uses its own).
- License
- State interior design boards, in the jurisdictions that regulate interior design. Interior design license steps
- By state
- Interior design state matrix
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
-
StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
- AlaskaState guide
- ArizonaState guide
- ArkansasState guide
- CaliforniaState guide
- ColoradoState guide
- ConnecticutState guide
- DelawareState guide
- District of ColumbiaState guide
- FloridaLicense rules
- GeorgiaState guide
- HawaiiState guide
- IdahoState guide
- IllinoisState guide
- IndianaState guide
- IowaState guide
- KansasState guide
- KentuckyState guide
- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
- MissouriState guide
- MontanaState guide
- NebraskaState guide
- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
- New MexicoState guide
- New YorkState guide
- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioState guide
- OklahomaState guide
- OregonState guide
- PennsylvaniaState guide
- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasLicense rules
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes step by step, the exam gates and the state license step are on one page.
Interior designer: bachelor's degree; NCIDQ exam and a state license or registration where the state regulates it
See the roadmap
Route 1: Interior design degree → work experience → NCIDQ → state registration · Route 2: Bachelor's in any field + interior design courses · Route 3: Registered Apprenticeship
More careers in Arts, Entertainment, & Design
Open the cluster hubEvery career page in this cluster, with entry, license, pay and outlook side by side.
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 21 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses.