Interior Designers in Iowa
Want to work as an Interior Designers in Iowa? 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 Iowa?
The interior designers working in Iowa, wages run about $57,790 per year (or about $27.79/hour).Pay can range from $36,350 at the 10th percentile to $116,400 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,350 | $17.48 |
| 25th percentile | $44,250 | $21.27 |
| Median (50th) | $57,790 | $27.79 |
| 75th percentile | $84,550 | $40.65 |
| 90th percentile | $116,400 | $55.96 |
Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Iowa relative to the national average — is 1.02.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, interior designers earn a median of $55,861 per year ($26.86/hour), above the Iowa median.
Employment Outlook
National employment for 188,628 interior designers in the U.S.. In Iowa alone, around 720 people work in this role. That’s fewer than the typical state, which employs around 960 interior designers.
Top Iowa Metros for Interior Designers
The largest metro-area employers of interior designers in Iowa.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 230 | $62,390 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 70 | $66,560 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 60 | $47,550 |
| Iowa City, IA | 50 | $57,790 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 50 | $63,590 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 30 | $62,680 |
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
Where interior designers earn the most: 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
Top interior designers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
The abilities that matter most for interior designers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Interior Designers typically:
- 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
Software and systems commonly involved: 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?
Related college programs include:
- Design & Applied Arts
- Interior Architecture
- Environmental Design
- Housing
- Textile & Apparel Studies
- Design for Human Health
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Other careers like 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