Interior Designers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for interior designerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $74,540 ≈ $36/hr
National median salary $67,190
Total employment 71,500 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +3.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 7,800 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 87,100 → 89,900 (+2,800)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$102,040
- California$89,740
- Wyoming$89,250
- Colorado$86,940
- Illinois$85,520
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$54,150
- Mississippi$57,000
- Louisiana$59,410
- North Dakota$60,190
- Michigan$62,180
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $102,040 | $98,450 | $49 | +36.9% | 620 |
| 2 | California | $89,740 | $80,230 | $43 | +20.4% | 8,500 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $89,250 | $96,100 | $43 | +19.7% | 90 |
| 4 | Colorado | $86,940 | $78,390 | $42 | +16.6% | 2,300 |
| 5 | Illinois | $85,520 | $76,290 | $41 | +14.7% | 2,570 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $83,670 | $80,110 | $40 | +12.2% | 1,580 |
| 7 | Washington | $81,360 | $76,570 | $39 | +9.1% | 1,330 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $80,310 | $69,990 | $39 | +7.7% | 740 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $79,580 | $74,020 | $38 | +6.8% | 1,670 |
| 10 | Georgia | $78,660 | $71,760 | $38 | +5.5% | 3,050 |
| 11 | Oregon | $76,170 | $66,350 | $37 | +2.2% | 1,030 |
| 12 | New York | $75,510 | $75,580 | $36 | +1.3% | 5,340 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $74,170 | $65,220 | $36 | -0.5% | 150 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $73,680 | $63,780 | $35 | -1.2% | 270 |
| 15 | Alaska | $73,320 | $63,320 | $35 | -1.6% | 40 |
| 16 | Vermont | $72,660 | $63,870 | $35 | -2.5% | 110 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $72,420 | $73,270 | $35 | -2.8% | 1,220 |
| 18 | Texas | $72,090 | $65,160 | $35 | -3.3% | 6,450 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $71,730 | $67,330 | $34 | -3.8% | 630 |
| 20 | Virginia | $70,840 | $62,560 | $34 | -5% | 1,550 |
| 21 | Maryland | $70,600 | $65,070 | $34 | -5.3% | 1,440 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $70,320 | $60,850 | $34 | -5.7% | 90 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $70,280 | $62,740 | $34 | -5.7% | 1,200 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $70,220 | $64,870 | $34 | -5.8% | 430 |
| 25 | Ohio | $70,070 | $61,410 | $34 | -6% | 2,180 |
| 26 | Arizona | $69,240 | $61,460 | $33 | -7.1% | 1,600 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $69,220 | $68,520 | $33 | -7.1% | 490 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $68,480 | $63,660 | $33 | -8.1% | 1,530 |
| 29 | Iowa | $68,360 | $58,040 | $33 | -8.3% | 510 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $67,970 | $63,790 | $33 | -8.8% | 940 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $67,890 | $62,400 | $33 | -8.9% | 1,820 |
| 32 | Missouri | $67,280 | $59,610 | $32 | -9.7% | 1,010 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $67,150 | $58,100 | $32 | -9.9% | 550 |
| 34 | Kansas | $66,910 | $61,090 | $32 | -10.2% | 400 |
| 35 | Utah | $66,290 | $61,740 | $32 | -11.1% | 1,110 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $66,260 | $61,400 | $32 | -11.1% | 2,610 |
| 37 | Florida | $65,980 | $60,860 | $32 | -11.5% | 7,410 |
| 38 | Indiana | $65,460 | $62,580 | $31 | -12.2% | 1,020 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $64,750 | $64,140 | $31 | -13.1% | 300 |
| 40 | Delaware | $64,670 | $60,360 | $31 | -13.2% | 190 |
| 41 | Maine | $64,440 | $63,830 | $31 | -13.5% | 230 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $63,620 | $59,240 | $31 | -14.6% | 490 |
| 43 | Montana | $63,500 | $61,770 | $31 | -14.8% | 290 |
| 44 | Alabama | $62,200 | $61,050 | $30 | -16.6% | 620 |
| 45 | Michigan | $62,180 | $59,340 | $30 | -16.6% | 1,930 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $60,190 | $59,190 | $29 | -19.3% | 160 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $59,410 | $60,610 | $29 | -20.3% | 350 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $57,000 | $43,740 | $27 | -23.5% | 330 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $54,150 | $49,800 | $26 | -27.4% | 90 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 227 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $101,250 | $95,290 | 70 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $87,460 | $99,350 | 1,810 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $85,140 | $100,980 | 340 |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $81,480 | $85,450 | 1,290 |
| 5 | Boulder, CO | $80,850 | $81,650 | 90 |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $80,640 | $86,370 | 820 |
| 7 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $80,150 | $89,330 | 1,500 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $80,000 | $88,370 | 3,880 |
| 9 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $79,720 | $92,760 | 460 |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $79,590 | $84,650 | 1,840 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing interior designerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $109,990 | $104,350 | 40 |
| 2 | Offices of Physicians | $101,530 | $106,620 | 40 |
| 3 | Ambulatory Health Care Services | $101,080 | $96,580 | 50 |
| 4 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $98,920 | $102,070 | 410 |
| 5 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $98,920 | $102,070 | 410 |
| 6 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $96,180 | $108,580 | 80 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $96,100 | $99,140 | 510 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $96,100 | $99,140 | 510 |
| 9 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $95,120 | $107,570 | 80 |
| 10 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $94,220 | $88,450 | — |
| 11 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $90,170 | $92,680 | 740 |
| 12 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $88,140 | $94,100 | 30 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do interior designers make in the U.S.?
The median interior designers salary in the United States is $67,190 per year (mean $74,540), and about 80% earn between $41,420 and $114,140.
How much do interior designers make per hour?
Roughly $36 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $74,540 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays interior designers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for interior designers at $102,040 per year (median $98,450).
What is the job outlook for interior designers?
Employment is projected to change +3.2% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 7,800 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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