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Boston Career Explorer

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

Interior Designers

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.

Also called: Certified Kitchen Designer, Color and Materials Designer, Commercial Interior Designer, Decorating Consultant, Designer, Interior Decorator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$81,480
$39.17/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,290
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−0.7%
160 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$52,570$62,610$81,480$95,410$125,240

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents.
  • Research health and safety code requirements to inform design.
  • 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.
  • Coordinate with other professionals, such as contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, to ensure job success.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure68 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 77
  • Language-model AIOE 69
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 58

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

Interior design has higher AI exposure, but observed AI use is currently little or none. AI tools could help with drafting construction documents in CAD software and researching health and safety codes. Talking with clients about budget and purpose, advising on space and furnishings, and designing for safety and ADA compliance rely on people. Massachusetts job growth is projected at -0.7%, so some designers may want to explore related fields.

Likely to change

  • Producing construction documents in CAD software
  • Researching health and safety code requirements

Still relies on people

  • Meeting with clients about budget and goals
  • Advising on space, furnishings, and color

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

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    Reading drawings and design data carries over to programming machine tools. It needs a postsecondary award, pays $85,560, and has 15.5% projected growth in Massachusetts.

    Pay difference
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  • Glaziers

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  • Structural Iron and Steel Workers

    Reading specifications and blueprints and thinking in terms of layout carry over. This apprenticeship trade pays $120,840 with very low AI exposure.

    Pay difference
    +$39,360 median
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    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

4 programs near Boston (plus 3 graduate)

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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