Interior Design Services — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the interior design services industry earns $70,269 per year ($33.78/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Interior Design Workers Earn?
At $70,269/year (equivalent to $33.78/hour for a full-time worker), interior design services wages are near the national average of ~$65,000.
The typical interior design services business employs 3 people. Most operations are small — often owner-operated with a handful of staff. Labor costs are manageable relative to revenue.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average interior design services business generating $392K/year with 3 employees at $70,269 each, total payroll represents roughly 53.7% of revenue. This is a labor-intensive industry — payroll is the dominant expense.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a interior design servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $91,350/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 3 employees = ~$210,807/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $33.78/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $392K/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Interior Design Services revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do interior design services employees make?
- The average interior design services employee earns $70,269 per year, which is equivalent to $33.78/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the interior design services industry?
- The interior design services industry employs 55,644 workers across 18,425 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 3 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).