Interior Design?

Question

i want to go to school for interior design but i want to know more like what jobs can i get, how much can i be making a year and how pricey it is to go through school. and if it is hard finding a job.

Answer 1

Jobs you can get: You can be a designer at many different types of places including architecture firms, interior design firms, and many furniture dealerships also employ interior designers.  You would also want to consider if you want to do commercial or residential interior design.  Most firms that are strictly interior design do residential and very small commercial projects (like offices/tenant finishes)  A lot of the big architecture firms take on large commercial projects and usually work with interior designers, engineers, and planners all in the same firm.  When you're in school and doing internships you will start to discover which direction interests you more.   There's also furniture and product design that you could get into as well, though you don't need an interior design degree for those.

Salary:  This depends on where you live and what type of work you are doing (see above...)  I live in the midwest and right out of college, working at a medium size firm I can expect to make around 30,000-35,000.  It increases the more experienced you get and the more clients you work up.  Interior designers that make the most money usually work for themselves and it takes quiet a few years to work up the reputation and client base to do that.

School price: Also depends where you live.  Most programs are 4 years long (many offer a masters program as well which adds another 2 years)  I pay about 7,000 a year for UNL (in Nebraska) and we are considered one of the top interior design/architecture public colleges.  If you go to a school on the coast expect to pay more, also of course, private art schools that offer interior design degrees are quiet a bit more pricey.  And honestly, I don't think you need to attend the top most expensive college to get a good education in design.  Just go to a school you like that has a decent accredited program and you will do just fine.

Finding a job:  The bigger the city, the more job opportunites you will find.  A city that is growing and prosperous is of course, going to have more job opportunities for someone who is in designing/building.  At my college we host an annual career/internship fair where people come from firms across the country and interview us for jobs.  I would say if you are hard working, qualified, and innovative it is not hard finding a job.  You have just as good of a chance getting a job as an interior designer as you do as an architect.

Hope this helps...good luck!

Answer 2

yes it is