Interior Designers in California
Considering working as an Interior Designers in California? Here’s what you need to know. 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. Excludes “Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers” (27-1026).
What do Interior Designers Make in California?
For interior designers working in California, the typical annual salary is $77,360 per year (or roughly $37.19/hour).Earnings range from $46,540 at the 10th percentile to $131,870 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,540 | $22.38 |
| 25th percentile | $60,260 | $28.97 |
| Median (50th) | $77,360 | $37.19 |
| 75th percentile | $99,030 | $47.61 |
| 90th percentile | $131,870 | $63.40 |
The job concentration index in California compared to the national average — is 1.03.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, interior designers earn a median of $55,861 per year ($26.86/hour), exceeding the California median.
Employment Outlook
There are roughly 188,628 interior designers in the U.S.. In California alone, approximately 8,360 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 960 interior designers.
Top California Metros for Interior Designers
The largest metro-area employers of interior designers in California.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,030 | $76,970 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,860 | $78,660 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 580 | $78,990 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 340 | $70,180 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 300 | $79,800 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 290 | $75,170 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 130 | $74,580 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 100 | $79,350 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 90 | $65,560 |
| Fresno, CA | 70 | $65,260 |
| Salinas, CA | 50 | $73,780 |
| Napa, CA | 40 | $75,710 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 40 | $83,580 |
Top States for Interior Designers Employment
The table below shows the states where the most interior designers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 8,360 |
| Florida | 7,090 |
| New York | 5,590 |
| Texas | 5,190 |
| Colorado | 2,800 |
| Illinois | 2,680 |
| Georgia | 2,660 |
| North Carolina | 2,360 |
| Ohio | 2,280 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,140 |
| Michigan | 1,670 |
| Virginia | 1,550 |
| Arizona | 1,550 |
| Massachusetts | 1,540 |
| New Jersey | 1,510 |
| Washington | 1,440 |
| Minnesota | 1,330 |
| Tennessee | 1,290 |
| Wisconsin | 1,170 |
| Utah | 1,140 |
Highest-Paying States for Interior Designers
The highest-paying states for interior designers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $79,490 |
| District of Columbia | $79,060 |
| California | $77,360 |
| Massachusetts | $77,190 |
| Wyoming | $75,120 |
| New York | $73,630 |
| Colorado | $72,740 |
| Maryland | $70,810 |
| Nevada | $68,620 |
| New Jersey | $67,290 |
Skills
Key interior designers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for interior designers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Common tasks include:
- 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.
- Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
- Subcontract fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, art work, furniture, and related items.
- Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art work, and accessories.
- Estimate material requirements and costs, and present design to client for approval.
Work Activities
- Thinking Creatively
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Getting Information
- Working with Computers
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Tools & Technology
Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software In-demand technologies: Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Several college majors map to this occupation:
- Design & Applied Arts
- Interior Architecture
- Environmental Design
- Housing
- Textile & Apparel Studies
- Design for Human Health
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Careers similar to interior designers include:
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Landscape Architects
- Architectural and Civil Drafters
- Mechanical Drafters
- Art Directors
- Craft Artists
Also Known As
Bathroom Designer (Bath Designer), Certified Kitchen Designer, Color and Materials Designer, Commercial Interior Designer, Decorating Consultant, Decorator, Design Consultant, Designer, Furniture Arranger, Home Decorator, Home Designer, Home Lighting Advisor, House Designer, Interior Decorator, Interior Design Consultant.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 27-1025.00
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