Interior Decorator
An interior decorator selects and arranges furnishings, colour schemes, textiles, and decorative accessories to create functional and aesthetically pleasing indoor spaces for residential and commercial clients.
What this job is
An interior decorator selects and arranges furnishings, colour schemes, textiles, and decorative accessories to create functional and aesthetically pleasing indoor spaces for residential and commercial clients. Working from client briefs and design concepts, they source materials, manage budgets, coordinate with suppliers and tradespeople, and oversee the installation and styling of completed interiors.
Are employers advertising this role?
Rising, up 34.3% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Consult with clients to understand spatial requirements, aesthetic preferences, lifestyle needs, and budget constraints for residential or commercial projects. Develop design concepts and mood boards using colour palettes, fabric samples, flooring materials, and furniture layouts to present to clients. Source furnishings, textiles, wallpapers, paint finishes, lighting fixtures, and decorative accessories from suppliers and manufacturers. Prepare detailed specifications and quotes for materials and labour, managing project budgets and tracking expenditure against estimates. Create scaled floor plans and spatial layouts showing furniture placement, traffic flow, and zoning of functional areas. Select and coordinate paint colours, wallcoverings, flooring finishes, and surface treatments in consultation with clients and based on lighting conditions. Manage procurement timelines, place orders with suppliers, and track delivery of furnishings and materials to site. Coordinate with tradespeople, painters, upholsterers, and installation contractors to ensure work aligns with design specifications and schedules.
Who does this now
About 2,000 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
Income is highly variable and often depends on landing and retaining clients. You're essentially running a small business, meaning feast-or-famine periods, unpaid admin work, and pressure to upsell. Many decorators struggle to charge enough to cover their time, especially competing against online furniture retailers and DIY trends. No guaranteed salary or job security.
Where the jobs are
Reality is most decorators are self-employed or freelance, working from home or small studios. Remote consultations are common, but you need to be near clients for site visits and installations. Regional work exists but is thinner and more competitive.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 3999, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Active Listeningcore
- Adapt setscore
- Adapt to artists' creative demandscore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Customer Needs Assessmentcore
- Goal Setting and Planningcore
- Invoicing and Billing Administrationcore
- Negotiationcore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Research and Analysiscore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Supplier Communicationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Written Communicationcore
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Appointment Scheduling
- Complaint Handling
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
- Digital Literacy
- Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
- Process Documentation
- Record Management
- Team Collaboration
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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