Interior Designers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $33K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $43K
Median Salary: $57K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $74K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $97K
Demand
Core Tasks
Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
Coordinate with other professionals, such as contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, to ensure job success.
Inspect construction work on site to ensure its adherence to the design plans.
Advise client on interior design factors, such as space planning, layout and use of furnishings or equipment, and color coordination.
Confer with client to determine factors affecting planning of interior environments, such as budget, architectural preferences, purpose, and function.
Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents.
Estimate material requirements and costs, and present design to client for approval.
Review and detail shop drawings for construction plans.
Formulate environmental plan to be practical, esthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity or selling merchandise.
Design spaces to be environmentally friendly, using sustainable, recycled materials when feasible.
Research and explore the use of new materials, technologies, and products to incorporate into designs.
Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art work, and accessories.
Subcontract fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, art work, furniture, and related items.
Plan and design interior environments for boats, planes, buses, trains, and other enclosed spaces.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Design
98%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Building and Construction
87%
Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Customer and Personal Service
82%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
79%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Administration and Management
76%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Fine Arts
74%
Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Sales and Marketing
73%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Public Safety and Security
72%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Computers and Electronics
70%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Psychology
66%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
80%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
80%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation
75%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
75%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing
73%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving
70%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination
70%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion
70%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Top 10 Abilities
Originality
83%
The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Fluency of Ideas
80%
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Near Vision
80%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Visualization
80%
The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Clarity
78%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Problem Sensitivity
75%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Top 10 Work Activities
Thinking Creatively
98%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Interacting With Computers
94%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting Information
93%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
91%
Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
88%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
88%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
85%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
85%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
84%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
83%
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Detailed Work Activities
Estimate costs for projects or productions.
Present work to clients for approval.
Confer with clients to determine needs.
Select materials or props.
Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
Coordinate construction or installation activities.
Draw detailed or technical illustrations.
Develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, or commercial purposes.
Review details of technical drawings or specifications.
Plan facility layouts or designs.
Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
Incorporate green features into the design of structures or facilities.
Conduct research to inform art, designs, or other work.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Artistic
96%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising
77%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Realistic
43%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Social
43%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
24%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional
19%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
98%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Innovation
91%
Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Dependability
90%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance
89%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Cooperation
88%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative
88%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Adaptability/Flexibility
87%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Integrity
85%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Leadership
84%
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Achievement/Effort
78%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Work Values
Achievement
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
65%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
34%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
