Interior designers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Interior designers in the United States earn a median salary of $67,190 per year — about $32 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 87K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +3%.
AI & Automation Risk
Interior design is heavily reliant on digital tools like CAD and BIM, which are being rapidly transformed by generative AI capable of creating photorealistic renderings and floor plans from text prompts. While the job requires physical site visits, material inspections, and complex interpersonal coordination with contractors, the core creative and technical drafting tasks are highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and productivity gains.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, ALBEST VALUE | $78,250 | Below avg (93.1) | $84,075 |
| Burlington, NC | $77,590 | Below avg (93.2) | $83,255 |
| Tulsa, OK | $71,670 | Below avg (89.2) | $80,335 |
| Akron, OH | $74,720 | Below avg (93.4) | $80,026 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $78,390 | Average (98.1) | $79,936 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $79,720 | Average (100.2) | $79,549 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $85,140 | Above avg (110.4) | $77,104 |
| Boulder, CO | $80,850 | Above avg (105.2) | $76,852 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $76,780 | Average (100.9) | $76,106 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $76,800 | Average (101.1) | $75,943 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $68,520 | Below avg (90.4) | $75,790 |
| Columbia, MO | $67,780 | Below avg (89.4) | $75,784 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $80,150 | Above avg (105.8) | $75,769 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $87,460 | Above avg (115.6) | $75,649 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $81,480 | Above avg (108.3) | $75,259 |