Interior design is an exciting and prestigious field that attracts many talented artists and designers. Interior designers are often viewed as glamorous, interesting people with a keen eye for aesthetics and beautiful environments. It’s no wonder that so many people dream of having exciting careers as interior designers!
However, many interior design hopefuls are deterred from entering the field because of misconceptions about salary and job opportunities. In fact, there are opportunities for careers in interior design outside of the elite celebrity designer job track. You don’t need your own home furnishings line to have a successful career in interior design. Rather your talent, creativity, and perseverance determine your success.
Average Salary of an Interior Designer
On average, interior designers in the United States earn $35,000 to $55,000 annually. As this is only an average scale, many interior designers earn less and some earn significantly more. In fact, interior designers with the lowest annual incomes earn as much as $25,000 annually while professionals on the higher end of the income scale earn more than $80,000 annually. As you can see, you can earn a very comfortable living as an interior designer earning an average income in the field.
Starting Out as an Interior Designer
Starting out as an interior designer can be the biggest hurdle in launching your career. The starting salary for an interior designer is relatively low, around $25,000 annually, and your starting salary can also be rather unstable. In order to secure a more significant and stable income, you may want to pursue a position with an interior design firm to establish skills and experience before launching your own business or a freelance design career.
Interior Design Prospects are Growing
Interior design has seen a decrease in job prospects with the popularity of do-it-yourself design trends and, of course, the declining economy and real estate market. These factors, combined with already intense competition within the industry, have affected interior design salaries and growth in the last few years. However, as the economy continues to repair, job growth should normalize in the interior design world.
What Will You Earn as an Interior Designer?
Because interior design salaries vary greatly, it’s hard to determine what you can expect to earn throughout your career. Interior design salaries are determined by a number of factors, including:
- Geographic location
- Experience
- Type of employer
- Reputation
Location is key when it comes to your interior design salary. Certain areas of the country have a greater, more concentrated demand for interior design services. Urban areas and regions with high costs of living, such as San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, provide greater career and income opportunities for design professionals.
The type of employer also influences your earning potential. If you work for a design or architectural firm, you might earn more than you would as a freelancer. You’ll also enjoy more income and job stability as the design contracts will be secured for you. Also, commercial interior design, in which you work on large scale projects like hotels and airports, brings higher salaries for interior designers. Private, specialized interior design, such as designing private homes, can be quite lucrative but requires time and a good reputation in order to establish a presence in this field.
While education, talent, and experience all influence your salary as an interior designer, the biggest factor is your reputation among your peers, colleagues, and clients. Once you establish a reputation as a talented designer with a one-of-a-kind aesthetic, the demand for your services will increase. High demand produces higher prices and as a sought-after interior designer with a high-end clientele, you can earn a better salary.
Increase your Interior Design Salary
There are a number of things you can do to increase your salary as an interior designer. First of all, it’s important to acknowledge whether you have a true talent and eye for design. Talent combined with hard work can catapult you to the top of this competitive business. However, design talent can be cultivated through education and experience.
Education is an important part of increasing your marketability as an interior designer. Because engineering and certain techniques are important to the design process, you can learn these skills through an interior design education. Many universities around the country offer Bachelor’s degrees in interior design and it’s very likely that a school near you has an interior design program. However, art schools usually offer the best interior design education programs.
Many interior design hopefuls relocate to geographic areas where interior design is a strong industry to start their careers. An internship or job with a prestigious designer or firm can help establish your credibility in the field. Also finding a specific niche or specializing in earth-friendly design techniques can increase your marketability. With hard work and skill, you can have a profitable interior design career.
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