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Plan, design, and furnish interiors of residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. Formulate design which is practical, aesthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity, selling merchandise, or improving life style. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design. Excludes "Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers" (27-1026).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56,070 | 2.6 % | $27.99 | $58,210 | 1.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $13.10 | $18.12 | $24.76 | $34.00 | $45.09 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $27,240 | $37,690 | $51,500 | $70,720 | $93,780 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Design Services | 20,600 | 14.70 | $28.97 | $60,250 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 11,500 | 0.81 | $30.69 | $63,820 |
| Furniture Stores | 4,490 | 2.02 | $23.65 | $49,190 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | 2,940 | 0.22 | $26.34 | $54,780 |
| Home Furnishings Stores | 2,740 | 1.07 | $21.05 | $43,780 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Design Services | 20,600 | 14.70 | $28.97 | $60,250 |
| Furniture Stores | 4,490 | 2.02 | $23.65 | $49,190 |
| Home Furnishings Stores | 2,740 | 1.07 | $21.05 | $43,780 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 11,500 | 0.81 | $30.69 | $63,820 |
| Residential Building Construction | 2,450 | 0.33 | $28.05 | $58,350 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 360 | 0.02 | $38.58 | $80,250 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 450 | 0.07 | $37.50 | $77,990 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | (8) | (8) | $35.42 | $73,660 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,410 | 0.06 | $32.70 | $68,020 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 60 | (7) | $32.31 | $67,200 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 8,130 | 0.49 | 1.24 | $32.83 | $68,290 |
| Florida | 4,380 | 0.52 | 1.32 | $23.70 | $49,290 |
| Texas | 4,160 | 0.35 | 0.89 | $28.64 | $59,580 |
| New York | 3,990 | 0.43 | 1.10 | $31.97 | $66,500 |
| Illinois | 2,380 | 0.40 | 1.02 | $29.81 | $62,010 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 670 | 0.95 | 2.41 | $40.78 | $84,820 |
| Colorado | 1,790 | 0.70 | 1.78 | $26.59 | $55,310 |
| North Dakota | 260 | 0.63 | 1.60 | $23.30 | $48,460 |
| Rhode Island | 290 | 0.61 | 1.54 | $37.66 | $78,340 |
| Maryland | 1,440 | 0.54 | 1.37 | $31.70 | $65,940 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 670 | 0.95 | 2.41 | $40.78 | $84,820 |
| Rhode Island | 290 | 0.61 | 1.54 | $37.66 | $78,340 |
| California | 8,130 | 0.49 | 1.24 | $32.83 | $68,290 |
| New York | 3,990 | 0.43 | 1.10 | $31.97 | $66,500 |
| Maryland | 1,440 | 0.54 | 1.37 | $31.70 | $65,940 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 3,580 | 0.54 | 1.36 | $32.48 | $67,560 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 2,280 | 0.51 | 1.31 | (8) | (8) |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 1,800 | 0.49 | 1.25 | $30.23 | $62,880 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,670 | 0.64 | 1.62 | $25.00 | $51,990 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 1,630 | 0.66 | 1.67 | $30.72 | $63,900 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 1,590 | 0.63 | 1.61 | $31.93 | $66,420 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,220 | 1.09 | 2.77 | $33.83 | $70,360 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,170 | 0.72 | 1.84 | $31.87 | $66,290 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,100 | 0.76 | 1.94 | $23.25 | $48,370 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,070 | 0.36 | 0.93 | $28.50 | $59,280 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL | 230 | 1.63 | 4.14 | $25.88 | $53,840 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 320 | 1.23 | 3.14 | $22.93 | $47,690 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,220 | 1.09 | 2.77 | $33.83 | $70,360 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC | 70 | 1.03 | 2.61 | $23.84 | $49,580 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor, MI | 50 | 0.79 | 2.00 | $19.47 | $40,500 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | 460 | 0.78 | 1.99 | $29.13 | $60,600 |
| Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL Metropolitan Division | 630 | 0.76 | 1.94 | $20.79 | $43,230 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,100 | 0.76 | 1.94 | $23.25 | $48,370 |
| West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach, FL Metropolitan Division | 450 | 0.75 | 1.91 | $28.18 | $58,610 |
| Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury Town, MA-NH NECTA Division | 50 | 0.74 | 1.89 | $32.34 | $67,260 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO | 150 | 0.61 | 1.55 | $39.66 | $82,490 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 310 | 0.54 | 1.38 | $37.07 | $77,110 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 350 | 0.69 | 1.76 | $36.01 | $74,900 |
| San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division | 80 | 0.72 | 1.83 | $35.77 | $74,400 |
| Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division | 300 | 0.74 | 1.89 | $34.06 | $70,850 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,220 | 1.09 | 2.77 | $33.83 | $70,360 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $33.03 | $68,710 |
| Tacoma-Lakewood, WA Metropolitan Division | 100 | 0.35 | 0.88 | $32.80 | $68,230 |
| Syracuse, NY | 50 | 0.17 | 0.44 | $32.59 | $67,790 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 3,580 | 0.54 | 1.36 | $32.48 | $67,560 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 1.52 | 3.85 | (8) | (8) |
| Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.67 | 1.69 | $24.77 | $51,520 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.46 | 1.18 | (8) | (8) |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.66 | 1.68 | $24.91 | $51,810 |
| Wasatch Back nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 1.67 | 4.25 | (8) | (8) |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 1.84 | 4.68 | (8) | (8) |
| Wasatch Back nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 1.67 | 4.25 | (8) | (8) |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 1.52 | 3.85 | (8) | (8) |
| Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.67 | 1.69 | $24.77 | $51,520 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.66 | 1.68 | $24.91 | $51,810 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.20 | 0.51 | $28.00 | $58,230 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.11 | 0.29 | $25.82 | $53,710 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.66 | 1.68 | $24.91 | $51,810 |
| Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.67 | 1.69 | $24.77 | $51,520 |
| Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.48 | 1.22 | $22.57 | $46,950 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018