Interior Designers

ANZSCO ID 2325

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
17,400
Future Growth
19.1%
Weekly Earnings
$1,586
Full-Time Share
63%
Female Share
76%
Average age
38

Summary

Interior Designers plan, design, detail and supervise the construction of commercial, industrial, retail and residential building interiors to produce an environment tailored to a purpose, with particular emphasis on space creation, space planning, and factors that enhance living and working environments.

Specialisations: Commercial Interior Designer, Environmental Designer, Residential Interior Designer, Retail Interior Designer.

A formal qualification in interior design or architecture is usually needed to work as an Interior Designer. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

Tasks

  • determining the objectives and constraints of the design brief by consulting with clients and stakeholders

  • researching and analysing spatial, functional, efficiency, safety and aesthetic requirements

  • formulating design concepts for building interiors

  • preparing sketches, diagrams, illustrations and plans to communicate design concepts

  • negotiating design solutions with clients, management, suppliers and construction staff

  • selecting, specifying and recommending functional and aesthetic materials, furniture and products for interiors

  • detailing and documenting selected design for construction

  • supervising the construction of interiors

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
High skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Creative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow very strongly
  • is likely to reach 27,200 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
19.1%
(or 4,300 jobs)
From
22,800
in 2021
To
27,200
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 13,800
2012 11,100
2013 6,200
2014 7,500
2015 12,600
2016 11,800
2017 15,700
2018 12,300
2019 10,400
2020 17,800
2021 22,800
2026 27,200

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 69% of people employed as Interior Designers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 3 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,586 per week, this is similar to weekly earnings for all jobs ($1,593).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Interior Designers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,586 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
52.1%
2
Construction
18.5%
3
Manufacturing
12.8%
4
Retail Trade
7.1%
5
Other industries
9.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

37.4% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

31.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

14.8% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

8.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.2% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Interior Designers All Jobs Average
NSW 37.4 31.6
VIC 31.3 25.6
QLD 14.8 20.0
SA 5.4 7.0
WA 8.5 10.8
TAS 0.6 2.0
NT 0.2 1.0
ACT 1.8 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
38
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
76%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Interior Designers is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 76% of the workforce. This is 28 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Interior Designers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.2 5.0
20-24 8.0 9.3
25-34 31.1 22.9
35-44 27.1 22.0
45-54 20.1 21.6
55-59 6.2 9.0
60-64 4.1 6.0
65 and Over 3.2 4.2
Median Age 38 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A formal qualification in interior design or architecture is usually needed to work as an Interior Designer. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Furnishing Industry VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Interior Designers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 7.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 44.6 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 27.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 7.5 21.1
Year 12 8.9 18.1
Year 11 1.5 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.5 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Interior Designers who are reliable, motivated and provide good customer service.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 54%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 54%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 52%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 50%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 50%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 50%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 48%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 48%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 45%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 41%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 37%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 83%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 74%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 66%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 62%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 60%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 60%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 59%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 58%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 57%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 54%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 50%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 49%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 47%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 46%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 46%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 44%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 44%

    History and archeology

    Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.

  • 43%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 40%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 35%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 59%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 55%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 54%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 54%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 52%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 50%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 50%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 50%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 50%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 50%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 48%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 48%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 36%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 86%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 79%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 74%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 74%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 72%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 72%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 70%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 70%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 70%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

    Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

  • 68%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 68%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 67%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 63%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 60%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 59%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 59%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 57%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 51%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 47%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 76%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 43%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 43%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 24%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 19%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 81%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 64%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 33%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 97%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 96%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 89%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 88%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 88%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 87%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 85%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 84%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 84%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 81%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 81%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 80%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 79%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 78%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 78%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 75%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 73%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 64%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 63%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-1025.00 - Interior Designers.


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