Interior Designers
SOC Code: 27-1025 Job Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed
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.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Interior Designers. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $58,302 | $84,822 | $111,342 | $137,862 |
| Merced, CA | $55,598 | $78,790 | $102,003 | $125,195 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $61,859 | $78,707 | $95,534 | $112,382 |
| Modesto, CA | $61,942 | $78,686 | $95,451 | $112,195 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $60,715 | $77,646 | $94,557 | $111,488 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $54,454 | $73,195 | $91,915 | $110,656 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $63,315 | $78,395 | $93,475 | $108,555 |
| Vallejo, CA | $60,466 | $76,274 | $92,082 | $107,890 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $44,138 | $64,293 | $84,448 | $104,603 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $57,221 | $72,966 | $88,712 | $104,458 |
H-1B Filing Data
Top H-1B Employers
| Employer | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc. | 42 | $82,765 |
| Perkins & Will, Inc. | 21 | $65,983 |
| Corgan Associates, Inc. | 17 | $75,820 |
| Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc. | 15 | $82,297 |
| Rockwell Architecture, Planning and Design, P.C. | 14 | $81,000 |
| Nicole Hollis, Inc. | 10 | $98,754 |
| HKS, Inc. | 9 | $74,800 |
| Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, Inc. | 8 | $73,526 |
| One Lux Studio, LLC | 7 | $91,757 |
| Stantec Architecture Inc. | 7 | $74,321 |
Filing Trend
| Year | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 75 | $67,822 |
| 2021 | 64 | $68,845 |
| 2022 | 53 | $77,733 |
| 2023 | 255 | $494,694 |
| 2024 | 388 | $74,912 |
| 2025 | 431 | $300,336 |
| 2026 | 43 | $3,251,602 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | |
| Speaking | 4.0 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 | |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 | |
| Coordination | 3.8 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 | |
| Writing | 3.6 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Design | 4.9 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.5 |
| Building and Construction | 4.2 |
| English Language | 4.1 |
| Sales and Marketing | 3.8 |
| Administration and Management | 3.6 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.5 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.4 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 84.0% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 4.0% |
| Associate's degree | 4.0% |
| Doctoral degree | 4.0% |
| First professional degree (MD, JD) | 4.0% |
Typical Tasks
- Estimate material requirements and costs, and present design to client for approval.
- 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.
- Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art work, and accessories.
- Formulate environmental plan to be practical, esthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity or selling merchandise.
- Subcontract fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, art work, furniture, and related items.
- Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
- Coordinate with other professionals, such as contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, to ensure job success.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Adobe Acrobat Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk Revit Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Project Microsoft Word Trimble SketchUp Pro 20-20 Technologies 20-20 Design
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