Interior Designer Salary Calculator – Australia 2023

In the chart above, you’ll notice that there’s quite a big step up from junior interior design salaries, which max out at about $55,000 and mid-level salaries which average at around $82,000. In contrast, there is a noticeable crossover between the mid and senior salary ranges, with just a $14,000 difference between each of the averages.

While the average salary range for a senior interior designer ranges from $85,000-$108,000, there are outliers at both extremes, For example, senior role salaries start as low $75,000 and go up up to around $120,000.

Interior Designer Job Descriptions

Junior Interior Designer

0-2 years experience.

In this role you work under the supervision of a more experienced designer. Responsibilities may include researching design trends, preparing presentations and providing support to the design team.

To be successful in this role you will need to have strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills and be able to work well in a team.

Mid-level Interior Designer

2-5 years experience.

As a mid-level interior designer, you are responsible for managing your own projects from start to finish. This will involve working closely with clients to understand their needs. You’ll also develop design concepts, prepare presentations, coordinate with suppliers and tradespeople, and oversee installations. You may also need to supervise junior designers and provide guidance and support to them.

To be successful in this role you will need strong project management skills, excellent communication and presentation skills. You’ll also need to be able to work well under pressure.

Senior Interior Designer

5+ years experience.

Senior interior designers often have 5 years or more of experience in the industry. In this role you’ll be responsible for leading a team of designers on large-scale projects. This will involve managing the design process from start to finish, developing concepts, preparing presentations, liaising with clients and suppliers, and overseeing the installation of the final design. You may also be required to provide mentorship and guidance to junior designers.

To be successful in this role you will need to have extensive experience in all aspects of the design process. You’ll need superb communication and presentation skills, and excellent team management skills.

Wage Growth in Australia

In the last 12 months, interior designer salaries have remained relatively stable in Australia.

Wage growth for Interior Designers was 2.6% in the last year, compared to a national average of 2.4%. This means that Interior Designers have seen their wages grow at a slightly faster rate than the average worker over the last year.

How do interior designer salaries compare to the Australian average wage?

The average salary for an Interior Designer in Australia is approximately $85,000 per year. This is 19% higher than the national median salary of $67,727, reported by Talent.

What factors influence interior designer salaries?

There are a number of factors that can influence interior designer salaries, including experience, skillset, location and the size of the company. Some specific areas that have the biggest impact include:

• Design experience: Interior designers with more experience tend to earn higher salaries. This is due to the fact that they have a better understanding of the design process and are able to take on more responsibility.

• Skillset: Interior designers with a deeper and more diverse skill set (e.g. CAD, Photoshop, presentation skills) tend to earn higher salaries. This is because they are able to take on a wider range of projects and responsibilities.

• Location: Interior designers in major cities tend to earn higher salaries than those who work in smaller towns or rural areas. This is because there is more demand for their services in these areas. However, this is changing as remote work becomes more prominent and businesses move to virtual workplaces.

• Size of company: Interior designers who work for large companies tend to earn higher salaries than those who work for smaller companies.

If you’re an interior designer looking to maximise your earnings, it’s important to keep these factors in mind. By increasing your experience, deepening your skill set and working in a major city, you can potentially earn a higher salary.

Salaries by State

In Australia, Interior Designers tend to earn the highest salaries in Victoria and New South Wales. This is due to the high demand for their services in these more populous states and in particular, the capitals of Melbourne and Sydney.

Interior Designer Salaries Melbourne VS Interior Design Salaries Sydney

From our dataset, which is mostly centred around capital cities, interior designers in Sydney tend to earn slightly more than their Melbourne counterparts. The difference was about $1,200 on average, which equated to a gap of about 1.5%.

Interior Designer Salaries Brisbane

Though we didn’t see it in our small three month window of data, some salary aggregator sites report that Brisbane interior designers are earning very close to the national average of $85,000. Most sources, however, report it being below the national average in the $65,000-$75,000 range.

Demand for interior designers

The demand for interior designers is expected to grow. Projected growth has taken a hit though, due to recent interest rate hikes, which have slowed new home building projects.

At any given time, there is usually upwards of 1,000 interior designer vacancies Australia-wide. This makes it a relatively easy field to get into.

The bulk of the interior design jobs tend to be in Sydney and Melbourne. Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide also have a significant number of vacancies.

How to become an Interior Designer

To become an interior designer you will need to have a relevant tertiary qualification such as a Bachelor of Interior Design or a Diploma of Interior Design. You may also be required to complete an internship or work experience placement as part of your studies.