💡 Why it matters: Cities everywhere are building new homes, offices, hotels and restaurants, and owners want them to look great. Interior designers choose layouts, colours and furniture to match each client's taste and budget.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Nigeria's cities are building new homes, offices, hotels and restaurants, and owners want them to look great.
- United States: Jobs for interior designers are projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, as fast as average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1M – ₦3M
- Mid-career
- ₦3.5M – ₦9M
- Senior
- ₦9M – ₦25M
≈ ₦292k – ₦750k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Meet clients and learn what they want
- Draw plans and choose colours, furniture and lighting
- Create 3D pictures so clients can see the design
- Work with builders, carpenters and suppliers
- Visit sites to check that everything is done right
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Creativity
- Visual taste
- Technical drawing
- Budgeting
- Communication
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Apprentice with an established designer and learn 3D software like SketchUp
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Design or construction-related apprenticeships
- Assistant roles with a design practice
🇺🇸 United States
- Internships at design firms
- Entry roles as a design assistant while you build experience
🇨🇦 Canada
- Work as a design assistant while you study
- Junior roles at design firms with a portfolio
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Sketch rooms and study how spaces are laid out
- 2Learn drawing and 3D software
- 3Study interior design or train with a designer
- 4Complete a few small projects for friends and family
- 5Build a portfolio and win bigger clients
⏰ A day in the life
You visit a client's new apartment to measure the rooms, then pick paint colours and furniture back at your desk. Later you make a 3D picture to show how the living room will look.