How to Become a Certified Interior Designer

Interior designers are creative professionals who specialize in structuring and transforming indoor spaces to suit the needs and preferences of their clients. This line of work is all about personalization and maximizing the functional and aesthetic value of the designed space for the people who use it.

An interior designer’s job often involves these tasks:

• Client consultations: Meeting with clients to understand their style, needs, and preferences so that you can make useful suggestions and produce a desirable end result.
• Creating design plans: Coming up with realistic design plans (floor, lighting, and spatial plans, among others) that align with the scope, schedule, budget, and type of a particular project.
• Coordinating with other professionals: Coordinating with architects, contractors, suppliers, and other professionals during the design process.
• Custom design: Creating custom furniture, fixtures, and installations to fulfill your client’s needs.
• 2D/3D rendering: Using physical and/or digital tools to create visual representations of a design for clients to approve before executing it.
• Budgeting: Helping clients develop a clear budget plan that still allows them to achieve their design goals.
• Purchasing: Buying materials, fixtures, and other elements that will become part of the designed space.
• Renovation and remodeling: Offering hands-on support by either personally renovating a space or subcontracting someone to do it for you under your guidance.

There’s a huge amount of variety in the day-to-day job description of an interior designer. On any given day, you may be drawing up plans from your office, attending meetings with customers or other industry professionals, partaking in on-site tasks, or dropping in to design locations to perform inspections.

Types of interior design

Many people associate interior design with homes and residential spaces, but this is far from your only option as a professional interior designer. Commercial interior design is another area you can explore, and it has a huge pool of opportunities and subspecialties that may appeal to you.

Common Interior Design Specialties

Each interior design niche presents its unique challenges and opportunities. Some designers may specialize in one niche, while others may work across multiple niches.

Interior designer vs. interior decorator

Interior decorating may sound a lot like interior design, but these two fields have some key differences, particularly in terms of their required qualifications.

Interior decorators are primarily focused on the aesthetic elements of a space, such as its color scheme, furniture, and decor. Although interior designers also help clients achieve these aesthetic goals, they’re also qualified to deal with structural elements that impact a space’s functionality and safety.

Unlike interior designers, interior decorators don’t need to meet any particular legal requirements. All you need is a good eye for spatial visual elements and a passion for decor to start your own interior decorating business.

Interior designer salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), interior designers working at firms typically earn somewhere in the range of $18.14–$48.97 per hour. 1

Online reports suggest that independent interior designers typically charge $50–$200 per hour, although these figures may not reflect your real take-home pay, and your earnings will fluctuate more since you’ll earn nothing between projects.

In either case, your earning potential will depend on your qualifications and experience as well as the types of clients you work with.

Interior design is different from many other creative professions in that you can’t always rely on talent alone. Many states have legal requirements you need to meet in order to call yourself a certified interior designer.

Even if you want to start an interior design side hustle without a degree, certificate, or license, you’ll need to do a lot of learning. Never forget the important reason why licensing and certification is such a big deal in the interior design industry: Your artistic creations will have practical implications for the health and safety of the people using the spaces you design.

Depending on where you live, you may need to meet the following requirements to become a fully qualified interior designer:

• Degree: Interior designers are generally expected to have at least a 2-year associate’s degree in interior design, although some states require you to have an accredited 4-year bachelor’s degree before you can be considered a qualified interior designer.
• License: Some states require you to register or get licensed as an interior designer. This process varies by jurisdiction, so check your local laws to find out whether this is something you need.
• Certification: To get legally licensed or registered in interior design in most states, you need to pass an exam and get certified by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ).
• Work experience: You generally need 2+ years of practical experience in interior design before you can get licensed. The exact number of hours you need to clock in may depend on the training path you choose.
• Age: Age requirements for interior designers vary by state. In most cases, you need to be at least 18 or 21 years old to become a fully qualified interior designer.

The best place to start your journey toward becoming an interior designer is to confirm the requirements for interior design licensing in your state. Even if you choose not to get registered, the same requirements have become standard in the industry, and you may struggle to find consistent work without meeting them.

Getting licensed and registered as an interior designer may sound overwhelming, but it’s simpler than it seems. Just follow the steps below.

1. Get a degree in interior design

You usually need a degree to become a licensed interior designer. However, the requirements are fairly lenient in terms of what degree do you need for interior design. You can get started with just a 2-year interior design degree or even a degree in a completely unrelated subject.

Education requirements are outlined by state laws and certification agencies. The CIDQ has a convenient list of interior designer educational requirements for each state. Many states require you to complete one of these interior design programs accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

Numerous colleges and universities offer diplomas as well as bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in interior design. These often include a practical element where students work on real design projects. Some of these programs may also include certifications.

In today’s digital age, there’s also a wealth of online interior design courses and workshops. Just be sure that you pick an approved interior design course that will allow you to get properly certified and licensed in your state.

Majors for interior design

You don’t have to go to college for interior design. Many interior designers do pursue a specific degree in interior design, but you can still become an interior designer if you studied another subject. You would just need to get a certificate or diploma in interior design.

2. Gain work experience

Many states have experience requirements as part of their licensing and registration process for interior designers. You’ll usually need at least 2 years of relevant work experience before you can register as a qualified interior designer, although experience requirements vary depending on the extent of education and training you received.

Many states defer to the experience requirements for the NCIDQ Certification, which are outlined in the table below.

Work Experience Required for NCIDQ Certification

Experience isn’t just a prerequisite for getting qualified as an interior designer—it’s also the foundation for any successful interior design career. Hands-on experience will allow you to build a portfolio and establish professional connections.

Here are some ways you can gain experience as an aspiring interior designer:

1. Internships: Seek internships with established design firms or experienced designers. Internships provide real-world exposure and mentorship opportunities.
2. Educational projects: Many interior design programs provide practical opportunities where you shadow an interior designer or undergo hands-on training as part of the curriculum.
3. Assistant roles: Getting an entry-level support role at an interior design firm will give you the opportunity to clock in the required work experience.

Just remember that for your work experience to count toward your interior design certification prerequisites, you need to be working with a certified interior designer who can sign off on your working hours.

3. Pass the NCIDQ exam

In every US state and jurisdiction where interior design is regulated (except California), you’re required to pass the NCIDQ certification exam to get registered or licensed as an interior designer. The assessment is made up of three tests: the Fundamentals Exam (IDFX), Professional Exam (IDPX), and Practicum Exam (PRAC).

These three exams will test you on seven core competencies:

1. Building systems
2. Codes
3. Construction standards
4. Contract administration
5. Design application
6. Professional practice
7. Project coordination

Be prepared to study hard, especially for the fundamentals exam. In Spring 2023, NCIDQ pass rates for the three tests were only in the range of 55%–62%. After you take each test and the exam window closes, it’ll take 6–8 weeks to get your results.2

4. Apply for your state license

Once you meet all the prerequisites for registration as an interior designer in your state, it’s time to apply for your interior design license. Bookmark or print your state’s checklist of required forms and documents to make sure your application is complete and avoid processing delays.

The licensing process will look a little different depending on where you live. For example, prospective interior designers in Maryland need to pay a licensing fee of $76 and wait 10 days for an application result. In Georgia, the application fee is $50, and it takes 20 days to process applications.

Every professional interior designer needs a portfolio. This is the main way for you to show future clients and employers what you can do and let them know what to expect from you as a designer.

Here’s what you can include in your interior design portfolio:

• Before and after shots of projects you’ve worked on
• Photos from personal or DIY projects
• Mock designs
• Photos from collaborative projects
• Sketches and drawings

As you gain more experience, you’ll be able to bulk up your portfolio with photos of projects you’ve completed on your own and even testimonials from customers.

Creating a digital portfolio

Many interior designers have digital portfolios of their work. Making your portfolio accessible online will broaden your reach, allow potential clients and employers to browse your work, and even help you form connections.

A business website is the ideal place to display your portfolio if you’re going to start your own interior design firm or work independently. Alternatively, if you plan to get a job at an interior design company, you can easily create a free portfolio website using a website builder like Canva or Wix.

Most newly certified interior designers go on to get a job at an interior design firm or start their own independent interior design business. Each route has its pros and cons that are worth considering.

Working at a firm

Once you’re a fully licensed interior designer, getting hired will be pretty straightforward. The first step you’ll want to take is to make a list of firms that match up with your design interests.

For example, maybe you want to work at a company that specializes in commercial interior design for retail businesses. Or maybe you want to design clinics and medical centers.

The reality is that a lot of interior design firms cater to businesses since these are the clients who can afford to book a large firm. So getting an interior design job at one of these companies is a better option if your interest lies in commercial design.

When working at a firm, you’ll generally be part of a team of interior designers. You may collaborate with other designers or be assigned full projects that you manage yourself.

Starting your own business

Like the case with many other creative professionals, interior designers have the option to take full control over their careers by starting their own business. Starting an interior design business isn’t easy, but the potential payoff is worth it for many.

For starters, you’ll be working for yourself, meaning you get to set your own rates and schedule and keep every penny you earn. It’s also the best option if you hope to be a home interior designer working with people rather than businesses.

What may be the most appealing aspect of this interior design career path, however, is the design flexibility and creative freedom you’ll get running your own firm. If you’re successful, you’ll get to fill the niches that interest you most and turn your style into a unique brand.

Just beware that working independently comes with unique challenges. While your income potential may be higher, you may earn less one month than the next, depending on changes in demand. You’ll also be fully responsible for administrative tasks, marketing, and budgeting.

The opportunity to bring your creative vision to life, shape spaces, and leave a lasting impact can be incredibly rewarding. While becoming an interior designer is a long and involved process, there’s nothing like the satisfaction of turning your passion into a thriving career.

An interior designer career is best suited to driven and creative problem-solvers who love the idea of working with others. If you have these qualities, then you’ll find the requisite years of preparation and training to be an enriching and fulfilling journey.