Interior designers shape the places where people heal, learn, work, and live. They balance beauty with building codes, budgets, and the needs of everyone who will use a space. This guide answers the questions students and families ask most about the profession, from pay and licensing to how to choose a program that’s worth the investment.
What Is Interior Design?
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Interior design is the professional practice of planning interior spaces that are functional, safe, and beautiful. Interior designers determine how a space will be used, plan layouts, and select lighting, materials, and furnishings. They also read blueprints and design to building codes and accessibility standards, often alongside architects, engineers, and contractors.
Interior designers work on nearly every kind of building: offices, hospitals, hotels, schools, stores, and homes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job includes sketching preliminary plans, including electrical and partition layouts; specifying materials and furnishings; estimating costs; and overseeing installation. The work is equal parts creative and technical.
What’s the Difference Between an Interior Designer and an Interior Decorator?
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An interior decorator focuses on finishes and furnishings in existing spaces. An interior designer does that and more: planning layouts, preparing construction drawings, and designing to building codes, fire safety, and accessibility standards. Many states reserve titles such as “registered” or “certified interior designer” for professionals who meet education, experience, and exam requirements.
Decorating is about style. Interior design adds responsibility for public health, safety, and welfare: how people exit a building in an emergency, whether a space works for someone using a wheelchair, and whether materials meet fire codes. That’s why interior design programs teach construction documentation, codes, and lighting systems alongside color and composition. In Wisconsin, only people registered with the state may use the title “Wisconsin registered interior designer” (<a href=;" 443="" https:="" docs.legis.wisconsin.gov="" statutes="" 08="" 3?up="1"" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">
Wis. Stat. § 443.075). In Minnesota, only those certified by the state board may call themselves a “Certified Interior Designer” (Minnesota AELSLAGID).
What Do Interior Designers Do Day to Day?
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Interior designers meet with clients to define goals, study how people will move through a space, and sketch layouts. They specify lighting, flooring, furniture, and fixtures; build timelines and cost estimates; and coordinate with architects and contractors during construction. Most drawings are made in CAD and building information modeling (BIM) software rather than by hand.
Typical duties, as described by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Search for and bid on new projects
- Determine the client’s goals and requirements
- Plan how a space will be used and how people will move through it
- Sketch preliminary plans, including electrical and partition layouts
- Specify materials and furnishings, such as lighting, furniture, wall finishes, flooring, and plumbing fixtures
- Create project timelines and estimate costs
- Oversee construction and coordinate with general contractors
- Return after completion to make sure the client is satisfied
Many designers specialize. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights corporate, healthcare, kitchen and bath, sustainable, and universal (accessible) design as common specialties.
Where Do Interior Designers Work?
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Interior designers held about 97,100 jobs in 2025. The largest share, 30%, worked for specialized design firms, and 26% were self-employed. Others worked for architecture and engineering firms, retailers such as furniture and home-furnishings companies, and construction firms. Most work in offices and travel to client sites.
| Employer Type | Share of Interior Designers (2025) |
|---|---|
| Specialized design services | 30% |
| Self-employed | 26% |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 14% |
| Retail trade | 12% |
| Construction | 6% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Designers may need to adjust their schedules to meet clients in the evening or on weekends, especially in residential work.
How Much Do Interior Designers Make?
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Interior designers earned a median annual wage of $67,190 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41,420, and the top 10% earned more than $114,140. Designers at architecture and engineering firms earned the highest median among major employers, at $78,340.
| Industry | Median Annual Wage (May 2025) |
|---|---|
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | $78,340 |
| Specialized design services | $67,870 |
| Construction | $63,330 |
| Retail trade | $50,560 |
| All interior designers | $67,190 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. The median for all U.S. occupations was $50,980.
Pay tends to rise with technical responsibility. Firms that produce construction documents and code-compliant commercial interiors pay the highest medians.
Is Interior Design a Good Career?
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Interior design offers steady demand and above-average pay. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, about the average for all jobs, with roughly 7,700 openings each year. Renovation projects, stronger attention to building codes, and accessibility standards are expected to sustain demand.
Most of those annual openings come from designers who retire or change careers, so new graduates enter a field with regular turnover rather than rapid expansion. The median wage for interior designers is about 32% higher than the median for all occupations. Designers who can handle the technical side of the work, including codes, construction documents, and coordination with building trades, are positioned for the higher-paying commercial and architecture-firm roles.
What Degree Do You Need to Become an Interior Designer?
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Most interior designers need a bachelor’s degree. A four-year degree from a program accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is the most direct path, because it meets the education requirement for the NCIDQ exam and for state credentials in places like Minnesota. The degree may be a B.F.A., B.S., or B.A.
Degree titles vary by school. A Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) usually places interior design inside an art and design school, with a studio art foundation in drawing, color, and three-dimensional design. A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) may sit in a college of architecture or human sciences. For licensing and the NCIDQ exam, CIDA accreditation matters more than the letters on the diploma. Programs at the associate level exist, but they typically require more work experience before a graduate can sit for the NCIDQ exam.
What Is CIDA Accreditation, and Why Does It Matter?
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The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) reviews interior design programs against professional standards for entry-level practice. Graduating from a CIDA-accredited program is the most straightforward way to show educational eligibility for the NCIDQ exam in most places that regulate interior design. CIDA does not rank programs, and accredited programs are reviewed every six years.
Accreditation is voluntary, which makes it a useful signal: a CIDA-accredited program has opened its curriculum, student work, and outcomes to review by the profession. Because CIDA measures every accredited program against the same standards, a CIDA-accredited degree from a public university and one from a private art school carry the same standing for NCIDQ eligibility.
Families sometimes confuse CIDA with NASAD, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. NASAD accredits art and design schools as institutions. CIDA accredits individual interior design programs. A strong choice will often have both.
What Is the NCIDQ Exam?
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The NCIDQ exam is the interior design profession’s qualifying exam, administered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ). It has three sections: the Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX), the Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX), and the Interior Design Implementation Exam (IDIX, formerly the Practicum). Students in their final year can take the IDFX.
To earn NCIDQ certification, candidates combine education with supervised work experience. According to the CIDQ Candidate Handbook:
- A bachelor’s degree in interior design requires 3,520 verified work hours, about two years full time.
- Up to 1,760 hours earned before graduation, such as internships and co-ops, can count toward that total.
- Candidates who haven’t finished their hours can take the IDFX first and complete the IDPX and IDIX later.
- Certificate holders renew annually.
The exam focuses on public health, safety, and welfare: codes, building systems, construction standards, and professional practice. Details and current eligibility routes are on the CIDQ eligibility page.
Do Interior Designers Need a License?
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It depends on the state. A few jurisdictions require a license to practice interior design, some protect only titles such as “registered” or “certified interior designer,” and many don’t regulate the field. Credentials usually require a qualifying degree, supervised experience, and the NCIDQ exam. Code-based commercial work is the most likely to require one.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes three models: states where only licensed designers may do interior design work, states that restrict only the title, and states with no restriction. Practice licenses apply in places including Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Two nearby examples:
- Wisconsin: The title “Wisconsin registered interior designer” is protected. Applicants must pass an approved interior design exam, and registered designers may sign and seal interior technical submissions for permitted projects (2021 Wisconsin Act 195).
- Minnesota: Certification is voluntary, but the title “Certified Interior Designer” requires a qualifying degree, two years of supervised experience, and the NCIDQ exam (Minnesota AELSLAGID).
Requirements change, so check each state’s board through CareerOneStop.
Do You Need to Be Good at Drawing or Math?
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You need to communicate ideas visually, but you don’t need to be a fine artist on day one. Interior designers sketch, read and edit blueprints, and produce most drawings in CAD and BIM software. Precision matters more than flair: drawings must be accurate enough for engineers and contractors to build from.
Design programs teach drawing as a skill, starting with fundamentals. Portfolios for admission can often include a range of work, such as photography, three-dimensional pieces, and architectural renderings, not just traditional drawing.
The math is practical rather than theoretical: measuring spaces, calculating square footage and material quantities, building budgets, and planning lighting levels. If you can work carefully with measurements and numbers, you have what the profession requires.
At UW-Stout Polytechnic, B.F.A. Interior Design students take one math and quantitative reasoning course (3–5 credits) as part of the Stout Core general education requirements; there is no separate math course for the major.
What Software Do Interior Designers Use?
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Most interior designers draft in computer-aided design (CAD) software and model spaces in building information modeling (BIM) software, which creates three-dimensional views that include walls, ceilings, and other construction elements. Widely used tools include AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp, plus rendering software and Adobe Creative Cloud for client presentations.
BIM matters because architects, engineers, and contractors work from the same model. A designer fluent in BIM can coordinate directly with the rest of the project team, which is one reason architecture and engineering firms pay interior designers the highest median wage. Software can be a significant expense for students, so ask each program what’s provided.
How Do Interior Designers Work With Architects and Construction Professionals?
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Closely. Interior designers coordinate with architects, engineers, and contractors to decide how spaces will function, look, and be built. They prepare construction documents, specify materials, and oversee installation. About 14% of interior designers work for architecture and engineering firms and 6% work for construction firms, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On a commercial project, the interior designer’s drawings feed directly into the builder’s schedule and budget. Designers who understand construction sequencing, materials, and cost earn trust on job sites and move into project management roles.
That’s why it helps to study where construction is taught. At UW-Stout Polytechnic, every B.F.A. Interior Design student takes AEC-171 Light Construction Methods and Materials, a course shared with construction management students, along with AEC-191 The Built Environment and interior design courses in codes, lighting, and construction documentation. In fall 2025, interior design, construction management, and technology education majors in Lecturer James Bunkelman’s AEC-171 class designed and built raised garden beds, a tool bench, and a tool holder for residents of The Neighbors senior living home (Universities of Wisconsin). Some students also pair the two fields as a double major, and the Interdisciplinary Interior Design Studio brings interior, industrial, and graphic design students together on shared projects.
How Do You Choose an Interior Design Program?
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Start with CIDA accreditation, then compare what each program adds: technical depth in codes and construction documents, internships that count toward NCIDQ hours, work with architecture and construction students, faculty with industry experience, and total cost after aid. Ask every program for graduate outcomes with a source and a year.
Questions to ask each program:
- Is the program CIDA-accredited, and when is its next review?
- Does the degree meet the education requirement for the NCIDQ exam?
- How much of the curriculum covers codes, lighting, construction documents, and BIM?
- Are internships or co-ops required, paid, and supported? (Up to 1,760 pre-graduation hours can count toward NCIDQ eligibility.)
- Do interior design students collaborate with architecture, construction, or business students?
- Who teaches studio courses, and how large are they?
- What does the portfolio review require, and when?
- What are tuition, fees, supplies, laptop, and software costs, and what is the net price after aid?
- What percentage of graduates are employed in the field, and which class year does that figure describe?
Public University With a Strong Art School vs. a Private Art School: Which Is Worth It?
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For interior design, a CIDA-accredited program at a public university offers the same credential path as a private art school at a fraction of the published price. CIDA holds both to the same standards, and both prepare graduates for the NCIDQ exam. Public universities also offer neighboring fields, like construction management, that stand-alone art schools usually don’t.
The credential is the same. Employers and state boards look for a CIDA-accredited degree and NCIDQ eligibility. Neither depends on a school’s price or prestige, and CIDA doesn’t rank programs.
The price is not. Published tuition and fees for one year:
| School or Average | Year | Published Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|
| UW-Stout Polytechnic, Wisconsin resident | 2026–27 | $11,767* |
| UW-Stout Polytechnic, Minnesota resident | 2026–27 | $13,773* |
| UW-Stout Polytechnic, Midwest Tuition & MSEP | 2026–27 | $15,898* |
| UW-Stout Polytechnic, nonresident | 2026–27 | $20,939* |
| National average, public four-year, in-state | 2025–26 | $11,950 |
| National average, private nonprofit four-year | 2025–26 | $45,000 |
| Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) | 2026–27 | $67,676 |
*Estimate based on 15 credits per semester, before the School of Art & Design’s B.F.A. program-specific tuition. Sources: UW-Stout Polytechnic Tuition, Fees & Payments; College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2025; RISD Student Financial Services.
With housing and food, UW-Stout Polytechnic estimates a 2026–27 total of $21,315 for a Wisconsin resident and $30,487 for a nonresident. RISD’s estimated 2026–27 cost of attendance, which also includes books, supplies, personal expenses, and travel, is $93,776, or more than $375,000 over four years at that rate.
Compare net price, not just sticker price. Private colleges discount heavily with grants. Even so, the College Board estimates that first-time, full-time students in 2025–26 paid an average of $2,300 in net tuition and fees at public four-year colleges in their home state, compared with $16,910 at private nonprofit four-year colleges. Use each school’s net price calculator to see your own figure, starting with UW-Stout Polytechnic’s Net Price Calculator.
Watch the hidden costs. Design students need a capable laptop and professional software. At UW-Stout Polytechnic, the eStout Laptop Program includes a program-optimized laptop, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Microsoft Office in the cost of attendance. Autodesk provides AutoCAD and Revit free to students, and the interior design program provides SketchUp and Enscape. At many private art schools, students buy their own; RISD, for example, budgets $3,400 a year for books and supplies and treats laptops and software separately.
A university gives you more neighbors. At a comprehensive university, interior design students share a campus with construction management, business, engineering, and hospitality programs. That matters in a profession built on coordination with builders, owners, and engineers.
Private art schools offer real strengths, including concentrated creative communities and, for some families, generous aid. The best choice is the CIDA-accredited program whose curriculum, outcomes, and net price fit you.
What Professional Organizations Should Interior Design Students Know?
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Four organizations shape the profession. The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) accredits programs. The Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) administers the NCIDQ exam. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) are professional associations with student chapters, events, and networking.
Joining a student chapter of ASID or IIDA is one of the fastest ways to meet working designers, find internships, and learn how firms hire.
Studying Interior Design at UW-Stout Polytechnic
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UW-Stout Polytechnic’s CIDA-accredited Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design blends fine art, design, and technical study, and it meets the education requirement for the NCIDQ exam. Students build portfolios in a first-year foundation, complete a required field experience or co-op, and take a construction course shared with construction management students, all at public university tuition.
- Accredited at two levels: The B.F.A. Interior Design is accredited by CIDA through its next review in 2032, and UW-Stout Polytechnic’s School of Art & Design is accredited by NASAD. Its art and design enrollment is the second largest among Wisconsin’s public universities.
- Career outcomes: 97% of graduates were employed or continuing their education within six months.
- First-year foundation: Every B.F.A. student begins in the School of Art & Design’s Pre-B.F.A. First-Year Experience, with an option to submit a portfolio before enrolling for direct entry to the major.
- Built-in construction coursework: Interior design and construction management students take AEC-171 Light Construction Methods and Materials together.
- Co-ops and internships: Every student completes a required experiential learning credit through a field experience (DES-398) or a cooperative education experience (DES-349). Through the Cooperative Education & Internship Program, students have worked with firms including BWBR Architects, DLR Group, RSP Architects, and Ashley Furniture Industries. More than a third of UW-Stout Polytechnic students accept jobs with their internship employer.
- Specialty studios: Students choose three advanced studios from hospitality and retail; healthcare and wellness; corporate and workplace; educational, civic, and cultural; residential; multi-family and supportive housing; and interdisciplinary design.
- Software and technology: Students work in AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Enscape, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Microsoft Office. Autodesk software is free to students, the program provides SketchUp, Enscape, and Mattoboard, and the eStout Laptop Program includes a laptop plus Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office.
- Exam preparation: Students can check out study guides for the NCIDQ exam and for the WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP) and LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) credentials.
- Accelerated master’s option: Students who choose the accelerated option as juniors can begin coursework toward the M.F.A. in Design during their advanced studios.
- Professional community: Student chapters of IIDA and ASID, plus a program advisory committee of practicing designers from firms including MSR Design, Target, and Hennepin County.