Interior Designer salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 14 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Buffalo Grove, Hillside, Northfield, Skokie.

Also listed as: Lighting Designer

Median salary$75,500
Middle 50%$63.1k–$90.7k
vs. national median+5%comparison median $72,000
Filings14FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $57,123 and $128,700.
PercentileSalary
10th$58,900
25th$63,125
50th (median)$75,500
75th$90,695
90th$111,600

Cost of living

Chicago's median Interior Designer salary of $75,500 is worth about $72,900 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Interior Designers in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $76,570 in May 2025 (2,250 employed). The H-1B median here is $75,500, 1% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associatestoo few3
Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaumtoo few2
Medline Industriestoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 2
Mid-level · Level II too few 2
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.