Career Path

Interior Designer

Overview

In this career, your responsibilities may include:

Designing interior spaces to be beautiful, safe, and functional, in compliance with building codes and inspection regulations.
Specializing in specific types of buildings, such as hospitals or hotels, or certain kinds of rooms, such as bathrooms or kitchens.

Job Titles

In your job search, you may find job listings for this career under different titles. You can find some examples of these, as well as more information about this career, at Career One Stop.

Academic Requirements

Typically requires a bachelor’s degree, including classes in interior design and computer-aided design (CAD).

Certification
Certification is not required, but could make employers more likely to hire you or offer you a higher salary.

You may be eligible for one of the following certifications:
Licensure

Licensure requirements vary by state. In some states, only licensed designers may do interior design work. In other states, both licensed and unlicensed designers may do such work; however, only licensed designers may use the title “interior designer.” In still other states, both licensed and unlicensed designers may call themselves interior designers and do interior design work.

In states where laws restrict the use of the title “interior designer,” only candidates who pass their state-approved exam, most commonly the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam, may call themselves “registered interior designers.”

There are several different combinations of education and work experience that can lead to eligibility to take the NCIDQ exam. Internationally educated candidates can qualify to take the exam if, after having their transcripts translated and evaluated by a service such as World Education Services (WES) or Education Credential Evaluators (ECE), their combination of education and work experience matches one of the exam eligibility routes.

California requires a different exam, administered by the California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC). Qualifications for eligibility to take the CCIDC exam include a combination of education and experience.