Interior designers in the US earned a median salary of $67,190 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% made less than $41,420, and the top 10% made more than $114,140. Pay rises with experience, runs highest at architecture and engineering firms, and is highest in Washington, DC, and California in the BLS state tables.
Salary pages online quote very different numbers because they measure different things. Some report a median, some an average, and some only count job ads. This guide starts with federal wage data, fills the gaps on experience and bonuses with Payscale's salary survey, and names the date on every figure.
How much interior designers make in 2026
The typical interior designer earns $67,190 a year. That is the BLS median for May 2025, published in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, so half of all designers on payroll earned more and half earned less. The spread is wide. The lowest 10% earned less than $41,420, and the highest 10% earned more than $114,140.
Payscale lands a little lower. Its average base salary for interior designers is $61,830, based on 3,428 salary profiles and last updated July 8, 2026. A gap like that is normal. The BLS surveys employers about the people on their payroll, while Payscale relies on people who report their own pay.
In hourly terms, the median was $30.05 in the May 2023 BLS occupational wage tables. That is the latest BLS release that publishes interior designer pay by state and city as a web page, so the state and city figures below come from it too.
Interior designer salary by experience
Pay climbs with years on the job. Payscale puts entry-level designers, with less than a year of experience, at $50,492 in average total pay, based on 125 salaries. Designers with 1 to 4 years earn $56,655, based on 1,641 salaries. Total pay here includes tips, bonuses, and overtime.
Past that point, Payscale shows pay against its $61,830 average. Designers with 5 to 9 years earn 8% above it. For designers with 10 or more years, Payscale's figures run 19% to 25% above the average. Entry-level pay, for comparison, sits 18% below it.
| Experience | What Payscale reports |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | $50,492 average total pay, 18% below the average |
| 1 to 4 years | $56,655 average total pay, 8% below the average |
| 5 to 9 years | 8% above the $61,830 average |
| 10 years or more | 19% to 25% above the average |
Interior designer salary by industry
Where you work moves your pay a lot. Designers at architecture and engineering firms had the highest median pay of the four industries the BLS lists, at $78,340 in May 2025. Retail trade, which includes furniture and home stores, paid the least at $50,560.
| Industry | Median annual pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | $78,340 |
| Specialized design services | $67,870 |
| Construction | $63,330 |
| Retail trade | $50,560 |
That is a gap of $27,780 between the top and bottom rows. Specialized design services, the industry that includes design studios, paid a median of $67,870, close to the national figure. The BLS notes that many designers work closely with architects and engineers, read blueprints, and follow building codes and inspection regulations, and that kind of technical work is the daily job at architecture and engineering firms.
Interior designer salary by state and city
Washington, DC, pays interior designers the most, with an annual mean wage of $92,310 in the May 2023 BLS tables. Among states, California leads at $81,570, followed by Massachusetts at $79,310, Washington at $77,240, and New York at $75,310. These are means, or averages, so they run higher than medians. The national mean in the same tables was $68,530, against a median of $62,510.
| Place | Annual mean wage, May 2023 | Interior designers employed |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $92,310 | 620 |
| California | $81,570 | 8,590 |
| Massachusetts | $79,310 | 1,700 |
| Washington | $77,240 | 1,580 |
| New York | $75,310 | 6,900 |
| Texas | $67,650 | 4,850 |
| Florida | $64,880 | 6,600 |
The best-paid metro areas are in California. San Jose led at $99,970, then San Francisco at $89,760, Napa at $86,630, and Los Angeles at $81,060. Seattle was close behind at $80,950.
Florida shows why job count and pay are separate questions. It had the third-most interior design jobs of any state, 6,600, yet its mean wage of $64,880 trailed the national mean of $68,530. If you plan to move for work, check both columns.
What salary figures leave out
The BLS wage tables count employees only. Its occupational wage estimates do not include self-employed workers, and the BLS says 26% of interior designers are self-employed. If you run your own studio, your income depends on what you charge and how many projects you book, and none of the medians above describe you.
Bonuses and commission matter too. Payscale reports bonuses from $568 to $8,000 a year for interior designers, and commission from $600 to $30,000. Ask how both work before you hold a base salary up against the medians in this guide.
Median or average: which salary number to use
Use the median when you want to know what a typical designer earns. The median is the middle salary: half of designers earn more, half earn less. An average, or mean, adds every salary together and divides, so a small group of very high earners pulls it up.
You can see this in the BLS numbers. In the May 2023 tables, the national mean for interior designers was $68,530 and the median was $62,510, a gap of $6,020. Payscale's $61,830 is an average of base pay from self-reported profiles, so it measures something different again. When a job ad, a recruiter, or a friend quotes a salary, ask which kind of number it is and which year it comes from. Two figures that look far apart can both be right.
Also check what the number counts. Base salary leaves out bonuses and commission, while total pay folds them in, so a base figure and a total pay figure for the same job can sit thousands of dollars apart.
How to benchmark an interior design salary offer
Use the numbers above in this order, so you compare like with like.
Step 1: Start with the national median
Begin with $67,190, the BLS median for May 2025. It tells you where the middle of the field sits before you adjust for anything.
Step 2: Adjust for your experience
Use the Payscale bands. In your first year, expect less than the median; Payscale's entry-level figure is $50,492. With 10 or more years behind you, aim above it.
Step 3: Match the industry
Compare an offer from an architecture firm against $78,340, and an offer from a retailer against $50,560. Holding a retail offer up to an architecture median makes a fair offer look low.
Step 4: Check your state and metro
Find your state in the table. A $75,000 offer is close to the mean in New York, where it was $75,310, and well above it in Florida, where it was $64,880.
Step 5: Add bonus and commission
Ask for the expected bonus or commission in writing and add it to the base before you compare. Payscale's commission range runs up to $30,000, so it can change the picture.
Where AI tools fit in a designer's work
Most interior designers draw in CAD software, and many use BIM software for 3D views with construction details, according to the BLS. AI design apps do a narrower job. House AI redesigns a photo of a real room in about 15 seconds on average, which helps when a client wants to see a few directions before you start drawing.
It doesn't replace the paid parts of the job. AI doesn't measure the room, it doesn't know local codes, and small details can drift between the render and real life. Plans, specifications, and site visits still need a designer. Every user gets 3 free designs a day, enough to test whether concept images help in your client meetings.
Design any room, shop or space with House AI in about 15 seconds. 1 free design a day.
Get Started TodayFrequently asked questions
What is the average salary for an interior designer?
The BLS median was $67,190 in May 2025. Payscale's average base salary, updated July 8, 2026, is $61,830.
Can interior designers make six figures?
Yes, at the top of the field. The highest-paid 10% of interior designers earned more than $114,140 in May 2025, according to the BLS.
Which state pays interior designers the most?
Washington, DC, had the highest annual mean wage, $92,310, in the May 2023 BLS tables. California led the states at $81,570.
How much do entry-level interior designers make?
Payscale puts designers with less than a year of experience at $50,492 in average total pay, based on 125 salaries.
What is the hourly wage for an interior designer?
The median hourly wage was $30.05 in the May 2023 BLS tables. That figure covers employees, not self-employed designers who set their own rates.
Keep reading
- What Is Interior Design? Definition, Principles, Types and Careers
- What Does Interior Design Cost in 2026? Designer vs DIY vs AI
- Interior Design Software: The 2026 Buyer's Guide
- AI vs Traditional Interior Design: Which Is Right for You?
- Interior Design Trends 2026
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Interior Designers," last modified August 27, 2026 (May 2025 pay data). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 27-1025 Interior Designers," last modified April 3, 2024. Payscale, "Interior Designer Salary," updated July 8, 2026. All checked October 3, 2026. House AI figures come from the House AI app.
