Is Interior Design a Good Career?

First things first – let’s answer the question: Is interior design a real career? The short answer is yes! Interior design is a real, professional field that you can study and pursue as your chosen career path.

Next, let’s explore what interior designers actually do. After all, this is an important factor to consider when trying to answer the question: “Is interior design a good career?”

Generally speaking, interior designers are responsible for creating functional and visually appealing spaces. This can include both residential and commercial properties. To do this, they must be able to work with clients to understand their needs and desires. Then, they must be able to translate those needs into a physical space.

In short, the answer is “yes”. In order to be a professional interior designer, you’ll need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in interior design. Additionally, many states require that designers are licensed. This generally requires passing a exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ).

Of course, getting a degree and becoming licensed is not an overnight process. It takes time, effort, and dedication. As a point of reference, obtaining a bachelor’s degree alone will take approx. 4 years.

Okay, by this point, you have a better idea of what interior designers do and the education/licensing requirements. Now let’s move on to exploring some of the common job duties you can expect to perform as an interior designer!

Keep in mind that these job duties will vary depending on the specific project you’re working on, as well as your individual skillset. However, in general, you can expect to:

Now let’s discuss salary expectations. This is often one of the most important factors to consider when trying to answer the question: “Is interior design a good career?”

The following salary ranges for interior designers are based on a few examples countries:

As you can see, there’s a pretty big range in terms of what you can expect to earn as an interior designer. In general, entry-level designers will start out on the lower end of the salary range.

When it comes to the highest paid interior design job, it’s important to keep in mind that this will vary depending on a number of factors – including experience, education, and location.

That being said, some of the highest paying interior design jobs include:

Yes, you can absolutely be successful as an interior designer!

However, it’s important to keep in mind that success takes hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck.

So far, we’ve answered the question: “Is interior design a good career?” with a resounding YES! But what about the future? Is there potential for growth in this field?

The answer to this question is also yes!

For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are about 7,800 new job openings in interior design every year. Additionally, as more and more people are looking to optimize their living/working space – whether it be through home renovations or office design – the demand for interior designers will only continue to rise.

What if you’re interested in a career in professional design, but aren’t interested in having to complete a bachelor’s degree (plus getting licensed, on top of that)?

A faculty of distance learning pioneer, QC Career School, QC Design School is an online international institution that’s been around since 1984 AND holds an A+ ranking from the Better Business Bureau! All of our training programs are 100% self-paced and able to be done right from the comfort of home.

The best part?

Successful completion of our wide variety of courses will arm you with an internationally-recognized certification + designation in your design field of choice!

Here are a few handy resources to help you better get to know QC Design School:

To put this into perspective, many of our graduates found that by devoting just 1-2 hours per week to their studies, they were able to finish their program in as little as 3-6 months. If you’re able to dedicate even more time per week to your class, you can easily graduate even sooner than that!

Oh, and did we mention that because QC’s courses are self-paced, YOU get to decide how long or how little time you need to graduate?

QC Design School offers a wide array of online courses for various areas of professional design. Importantly, these particular fields of design are unregulated – meaning that once you’ve graduated and are armed with your globally-recognized certification, you can start working immediately!

In many ways, interior decorating is very much like interior designing – just without the architectural aspect.

Instead, interior decorators focus on the “decor” aspect of interior design. Think: furniture, window treatments, flooring, lighting, and more. This particular field is much less time-intensive to get into than traditional interior design.

Have you ever gone to an open house and been absolutely amazed by how beautiful and well-designed the space was? Well, that’s probably because it was staged by a professional!

Home staging is all about making a house look its absolute best before putting it on the market. This includes decluttering, rearranging/removing furniture, adding/removing decor, and more.

Have you ever seen those TV shows where someone’s entire house is overrun by clutter? And then, in comes a professional organizer to save the day?

Well, that profession is 100% real – and it might just be the perfect fit for you!

Professional organizers help their clients get their homes (and lives) back in order. This can include decluttering, organizing closets/drawers/cabinets, setting up storage solutions, and more.

Have you ever gone to paint a room in your house, only to be completely overwhelmed by all the color options? If so, then you’re not alone!

Choosing the perfect paint color (or colors) for a space can be tricky. But, it’s also a skill that can be learned with some practice. And, once you learn it, you can help others do the same!

Ever heard of Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that’s all about creating harmony and balance in a space. And, as you can probably imagine, this requires some pretty specific design knowledge!

Love working with flowers and greenery?

If you enjoy getting your hands dirty and creating beautiful arrangements, then a career in floral design might be the perfect fit for you!

As a floral designer, you’ll be responsible for creating arrangements that elevate and refine your clients’ homes – both internally and externally. In order to do this job properly, you’ll need to have a good understanding of which flowers are in-season, as well as how to care for them.

This is where QC Design School’s Floral Design Course comes in handy! This 6-unit program will give you the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the field of professional floristry. Upon completion of the program, you’ll receive an International Floral Design Professional (IFDP) certification + designation.

Aging in place design is all about making homes accessible and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. You’ll be responsible for making expert recommendations on how clients can improve their living space(s) with long-term safety at top of mind. This can include recommending that they incorporate features like grab bars, non-slip flooring, and wider doorways into their homes.

Thus, with your help, clients can age comfortably – and safely – in the comfort of their own homes!

What’s great about this design field is that it’s always growing! After all, the population continues to age. As a result, there will forever be an increasing demand for designers who specialize in this design niche.

If you’re interested in a design career that involves working with nature, then landscape design is right up your alley!

As a landscape designer, you’ll be responsible for creating and maintaining outdoor living spaces – like gardens, yards, parks, and more. This can involve everything from planting trees and shrubs, to making recommendations on installing irrigation systems, etc.

We hope this article has given you a better understanding of what a career in interior design looks like! That said, if you want to pursue an alternate path to interior design, QC Design School can help. In just 12 weeks, you can become internationally-certified and get your brand-new job started!

Still undecided on whether or not interior design is the right fit for you? Why not explore some of the other great design career options we’ve listed above? From floral design and landscape design, to Feng Shui consulting and aging in place design – there’s bound to be an alternate path that piques your interest!