Interior Design Careers and Employment

Interior design and related career options are available to the technically minded as well as the artistic.  The large spectrum of career options can satisfy almost every interior designer whether full or part time; corporate or non-profit; specialist or generalist; residential or commercial; small town or large city oriented.

Salaries vary greatly from the beginning designer at about $25,000-$40,000 to junior designer at about $35,000-$55,000 to senior at $45,000-70,000 and design director at about $65,000-$100,000 to firm officer up into six digits. The wide range comes from the make-up of the firm, geography of firm, clients/projects of the firm, opportunities for promotion, and personal motivation. These figures are quite general and should be used as broad guidelines only.  A new graduate may begin out of college for a firm at $48,000 while another may begin at $30,000.  A designer with six years of experience may make $123,000 and another makes $45,000.

Sample Alumnae Locations -

• Appleton, WI              
• Boston, MA                
• Chicago, IL
• DePere, WI                 
• Los Angeles, CA         
• Madison, WI
• Miami, FL                   
• Milwaukee, WI           
• Phoenix, AZ
• San Diego, CA            
• Taos, NM                   
• Washington, DC

Sample Alumnae Employers

Architechts -
Engberg Anderson Design Partners
Eppstein Uhen Architects Inc
Plunkett Raysich Architects LLP
Kahler Slater Architects
Zimmerman Design Group

Commercial Design Firms -
HLA Business Interiors
Interior Systems Inc

Dealers -
Building Service Inc
Corporate Design Interiors
Creative Business Interiors
Forrer Business Interiors
M&M Office Interiors
Hendricksen & Co Inc

Exhibition -
Telesis

Transportation -
Gulfstream Corporate Jets

Healthcare -
St. Luke’s Hospital (Aurora)

Specialized Healthcare -
Theiss Business Interiors

Hospitality -
Hyatt

Senior Living -
Direct Supply Eldercare

In House/Facilities -
Allen Bradley
Cobalt (Blue Cross/ Blue Shield)
Kohler Company
Kohl’s Department Store
M&I Bank
Northwestern Mutual Insurance
Quadgraphics
Walgreens
US Government
Harley Davidson

Lighting -
Anne Kustner
Harwood Engineering

Millwork -
Marshall Towne Millwork

Model Homes -
Brenda Kugler Designs
Pegasus

Retail Spaces -
Celek Interiors

Residential -
Betty Johnson Interiors
Lise Lawson Interiors
Jamie Wilkie Interiors

Residentail Entreprenuers -
JT Interiors
London By Design
Donna Seeker Interiors

Sales/Product -
DesignTex
Herman Miller
KR Schaetz Associates Inc
Metro