Architectural Designs

Interior Design...JOB/SALARY/School?

What does there job consist of? and how much is the yearly salary...and how much schooling do you have to do

Public Comments

1. This is a complex question to answer because the schooling is all over the map and certfication/society membership is a cafeteria type mix as well. (1 from column A or 2 from B etc). Generally you need formal education + internship/ formal documentable experience. The more education, the fewer experience hours are required. A 3 year certificate is probably the minimum for education. The exams are incredibly difficult & the failure rate is high. Google some of the societies that certify IDs (ASID, IAD, etc). In addition, in California we need a state certificate as well (CID) and a state exam. There are also specialty ones like the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA--they certify kitchen designers & bath designers). This is not the glamorous job many people think it is . About 60% of my class dropped out. You need to be able to draw plans, do computer drafting, know building codes, do mounds of paperwork (invoices, billing, letter) spend hours on the phone tracking items, do original designs for space planning, have resources to fabricate, know construction methods and building practices, handicap plans, project management, color theory, be able to communicate clearly concepts, convince clients of designs, make absolutely no mistakes (or you eat the cost, or worse a door opens into the toilet etc), manage a budget and cost factors, manage sub contractors & work with contractors, etc....Then you get to do the pretty things--specify surface materials. The salary depends on who you work for--small firm, huge architectural firm, or self employed and how talented you are. Can range from $12/hr upward....(depends on clients as well)
2. only the wealthy hire interior designers, so you market will be small & clique'ish. If you live in a wealthy city, a resort area, etc., it's more lucrative. You CAN earn good money, but consistantly? Maybe not. I think you need a Bachelor's Degree. Better to go with fashion design if you have any interest--you can work for top clothing producers, textile manufacturers, etc., You learn so much about fabrics, design, construction details, & textiles that if you THEN wanted to go into interior design, you'd have a great background for it.