Interior Designer salary
From 718 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 27-1025: Interior Designers
- Also filed as: Lighting Designer
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 44% of Interior Designer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates. 28 filings (4% of the total), median $91,780.
- Median up 35% since FY2020. From $56,222 in FY2020 to $75,883 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Interior Designer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 718 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Interior Designer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 27-1025, Interior Designers). The median base salary is $72,000, 41% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $62,000 and $84,498. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 44% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (289), and M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates is the employer that files the most (28).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Interior Designer
Employers with the most Interior Designer filings. Bar: share of all Interior Designer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 28% of filings
Mid-level · 44% of filings
Senior · 17% of filings
Expert · 11% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $59,280 | 201 |
| Level II · Qualified | $70,100 | 318 |
| Level III · Experienced | $83,100 | 118 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $99,732 | 78 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Interior Designer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 11 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $74,000 | 289 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $75,275 | 75 |
| San Francisco, CA | $80,000 | 63 |
| San Jose, CA | $75,864 | 38 |
| Boston, MA | $69,840 | 32 |
| Washington, DC | $69,500 | 28 |
| Dallas, TX | $62,941 | 27 |
| Atlanta, GA | $60,000 | 19 |
| Miami, FL | $63,074 | 18 |
| Seattle, WA | $76,000 | 17 |
| Chicago, IL | $75,500 | 14 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Interior Designer does
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.
Typical tasks
- 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.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Interior Designers (27-1025.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Interior Designers), the median annual wage was $67,190 in May 2025, with 71,500 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $72,000, 7% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,855 | $41,420 |
| 25th percentile | $62,000 | $51,840 |
| Median | $72,000 | $67,190 |
| 75th percentile | $84,498 | $85,740 |
| 90th percentile | $97,922 | $114,140 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $53,855 |
| 25th | $62,000 |
| 50th (median) | $72,000 |
| 75th | $84,498 |
| 90th | $97,922 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $56,222 | $52,000 | $65,936 | 297 |
| FY2021 | $60,000 | $52,275 | $68,328 | 262 |
| FY2022 | $62,500 | $56,534 | $72,800 | 305 |
| FY2023 | $66,849 | $56,472 | $80,000 | 306 |
| FY2024 | $65,000 | $58,084 | $79,471 | 334 |
| FY2025 | $68,640 | $60,000 | $80,000 | 379 |
| FY2026 | $75,883 | $65,510 | $87,800 | 339 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Interior Designer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Interior Designer jobs is $72,000 (718 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $62,000 and $84,498.
What does an entry-level Interior Designer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $59,280. Level I accounts for 28% of Interior Designer filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Interior Designers?
M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates (28), Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (14) and Perkins & Will (14) filed the most Interior Designer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Interior Designers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($72,000) is 7% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($67,190, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.