Interior Design Jobs in Australia: Who’s Hiring?
Interior designers are in high demand in Australia. The construction industry is booming (for now), and there is a lot of work designing interiors for businesses and private homes.
Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most prominent interior design companies who are hiring in Australia and rate the best cities for you to find work.
The Australian Interior Design Industry Overview
Australia has a thriving interior design scene. Our booming economy means there is no shortage of work designing interiors for commercial and residential buildings.
The average salary for an interior design job is around $80,000 per year. However, depending on experience and location, you can earn more than $100,000. Entry-level or junior interior designers can expect salaries of about $47,000 or thereabouts in the major cities.
Most interior design jobs in Australia are found in residential or urban areas. The bulk of these jobs are in the country’s capital cities, like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Industry evolution
Like most other markets, the Australian interior design market has been changed by technology. The rise in photo-sharing apps like Instagram has been an excellent help for marketing, especially for smaller teams and freelancers.
Of course, there has been a shift towards DIY design in Australia over the last decade. However, hip urban Australians still use interior designers to create unique and sophisticated personal spaces that stand out from the crowd.
Additionally, corporate and commercial work is thriving. There is a substantial market for designing commercial spaces of all kinds. You can find interior designer jobs designing slick corporate offices or trendy, rustic coffee houses. There is something for every style.
Research conducted by the Australian Governments Job Outlook suggests that interior design jobs are set to increase. The data indicates interior design jobs will increase by 19.1% between 2021 and 2026. Overall, that means the country will create about 4,300 new interior design jobs.
Some other interesting points of note are that the industry is predominantly female, with 76% of the country’s interior design jobs held by women.
So, let’s take a look at what the industry has to offer interior design job seekers in Australia’s main cities.
Finding Interior Design Jobs in Melbourne
Interior design jobs in Melbourne pay slightly over the national average. You can expect salaries of around $82,500 for your work.
Melbourne is a hub of commercial and creative activity. As such, it offers a wide range of interior design jobs. You can find work on hospitality, retail, and residential properties. Additionally, the city has a taste for sustainable and environmentally responsible design. So if that’s your passion, Melbourne could be the right place for you.
Some of the best companies to find interior design jobs in Melbourne are:
JLL: Jones Lang Laselle is a real estate property investor. They’ve moved heavily into sustainability in recent years and employ interior designers to develop solutions for their clients.
Denton Corker Marshall: Denton Corker Marshall is an international design firm with a sterling reputation. They’re innovative urban design specialists with a focus on interiors.
Geyer: Geyer is a strategic interior design firm. They’re very creative and innovative and have a good reputation. With lots of high-profile projects, they could be a good choice for ambitious designers.
Stantec: Stantec is a world-renowned design firm with offices worldwide, including in Melbourne and Sydney. They’re best known for designing the 60,000-seater Optus Stadium in Perth.
Who’s Hiring in Sydney?
Interior design jobs in Sydney span a mix of big commercial projects and private residential work. The city hosts some of the biggest design studios in Australia and produces an incredible array of classic and contemporary designs.
Interior design jobs in Sydney pay over the national average. Typically, designers can expect salaries of around $85,000. However, in some suburbs, like Carlingford, the average compensation is over $100,000. Junior salaries are competitive too, and expected salaries are about $58,000.
Interior design firms in Sydney
Cox Rayner Architecture: Cox Rayner Architecture is best known for their work designing stadiums, but they do interiors too. They’re one of the country’s best-known firms and a good source of interior design jobs in Sydney.
DesignInc: Founded in 1996, DesignInc employs over 170 architects and interior designers. They mix interior and exterior design and, according to their employees, have a good work culture too.
Marchese Partners: Award-winning Marchese Partners have been operating in Sydney for almost 30 years. They’re an integrated design firm who are big on innovation and are an excellent source for interior design jobs.
Grimshaw Architects: Grimshaw is a well-known international architectural design company with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, New York, London, and more. They’re currently running some giant jobs, including the Monash Woodside Building and an upgrade to the Docklands Stadium.
Entering the Brisbane Interior Design Industry
While Brisbane might not get the design plaudits that Melbourne does, it’s actually a beautiful city full of fascinating and inspiring design. The “River City” has become a dynamic, cosmopolitan place over the years, and it has the architecture and design to back it up.
Some of the most interesting buildings in Brisbane are the 1800s Queenslanders and Art-deco blocks. As you’d expect from such a warm city, interior design tends towards bright and airy spaces with natural elements.
Salaries are varied in Brisbane. Some estimates suggest average compensation of around $85,000; others put the figure at nearly $70,000. Entry-level salaries are approximately $58,000. Considering Brisbane’s slightly lower cost of living compared to Sydney and Melbourne, it could be a great place for designers who are just getting started in their careers.
Interior design firms in Brisbane
NDY: Norman Disney & Young make sleek modern interiors. They design stunning interiors all over the world and have offices in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
ThomsonAdsett: ThomsonAdsett is a huge international interior design company with offices in Asia and Australia, including Brisbane. They specialise in interiors for seniors but also do great retail, sports, education and other kinds of work.
Populous: Populous is a big international design firm with locations spread far across the globe. They have three Australian offices, with one in Brisbane. With over 2,500 projects, including some of the most iconic stadiums around the world, they’re a great source of interior design jobs in Brisbane.
Grey Puksand: Grey Puksand is a leading name in architecture and integrated design. They have offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. They’re very human-centred in their design approach. Some of their notable projects include Melbourne’s iconic Crowne Plaza hotel.
How about Perth and Adelaide?
Perth is more well-known for its incredible outdoors than its interiors. In fact, the city gets a fair bit of criticism in design circles for uninspiring design. As a planned city, it still has a very 1950s suburban feel. However, things are slowly changing, and there is a new generation of designers who are serving commercial clients, as well as Perth’s more affluent citizens.
With fewer creatives in the city, interior design jobs in Perth pay very well. The average salary is around $88,000 — which is above national levels. Entry-level designers can expect to make about $50,000, with mid-career designers looking at about $70,000 or so.
By contrast, Adelaide is an underrated design city. One of the city’s most prominent characteristics is its blend of the old and the new. This quality is reflected in its design.
There are lots of interior design jobs in Adelaide that capture the spirit of the city. Sustainability and liveability are big drivers of the city’s aesthetic, and much of the interior design work is focused on fusing urban and natural elements.
Interior design salaries in Adelaide are a little below national averages. This situation reflects a lower cost of living. Senior designers can expect to make around $70,000 or so. Entry-level designers get paid roughly $55,000.
Interior design firms in Perth and Adelaide
Arup: Arup came to Australia in the 1960s. Their mission was simple: Build the Sydney Opera House. Now, they employ over 2000 people in the country and have eight offices around the country, including in Perth and Adelaide, plus all the other places you’d imagine.
ASPECT: ASPECT design studios have ten offices around the world, including in Perth and Adelaide. Since 1993 they’ve been celebrated for their creative and innovative landscape and interior architecture. They have lots of notable work, but The Roof in Shanghai is one of the most eye-catching.
Cottee Parker: Cottee Parker is an award-winning designer. They have studios in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Cottee Parker prides itself on its service culture and sustainable solutions. Their work is varied and includes The Towers & Ritz Carlton on Elizabeth Quay.
Summary
Thanks to our excellent economy, there are many great interior design jobs in Australia. The discipline is growing and creating new jobs all the time.
Australia also provides a huge variety of interior design jobs. You can find work designing interiors for very modern urban commercial spaces. Likewise, there is a massive variety of residential work that leans towards more personalised, quirky expression.
