Interior Designer
An interior designer develops aesthetic and functional interior environments for residential, commercial, or hospitality settings in Australia. They consult with clients to understand requirements, create design concepts using digital tools, select materials and furnishings, and manage project delivery to ensure designs meet building codes, accessibility standards, and client budgets.
What this job is
An interior designer develops aesthetic and functional interior environments for residential, commercial, or hospitality settings in Australia. They consult with clients to understand requirements, create design concepts using digital tools, select materials and furnishings, and manage project delivery to ensure designs meet building codes, accessibility standards, and client budgets. The role combines creative problem-solving with technical knowledge of building regulations, spatial planning, and construction practices.
Are employers advertising this role?
Steady, down 6.2% 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
Conduct client consultations to establish design briefs, budget parameters, and functional requirements for interior spaces. Produce scaled floor plans, elevations, and 3D visualisation renderings using CAD software (AutoCAD, SketchUp, or similar) to communicate design concepts. Research and select interior finishes, furnishings, and fittings from suppliers and manufacturers, including colour palettes, textures, and material specifications. Ensure designs comply with Building Code of Australia accessibility requirements (AS/NZS 1428 standards) and relevant state building regulations. Prepare specification documents and schedules detailing material quantities, finishes, and installation requirements for contractors and builders. Manage project timelines, coordinate with architects and builders to ensure design integration during construction phases. Source and negotiate quotes from suppliers and trades (upholsterers, painters, cabinetmakers) to manage project budgets and costs. Visit construction or fit-out sites to inspect progress, approve material samples, and resolve design issues during implementation.
Who does this now
About 12,300 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Bachelor degree or higher (ABS skill level 1)
Registration or licensing may be required.
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 bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). 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
Many start as freelancers juggling multiple small projects, which means irregular income, no job security, and doing your own admin and accounting. You're also competing against overseas designers using cheap labour, and clients often expect free concept sketches before committing. The design work itself can be frustrating when builders ignore your specifications or clients change their minds mid-project.
Where the jobs are
Hospitality and retail design clusters in CBDs and affluent suburbs. Most jobs are either in design studios and construction companies (concentrated in metros) or freelance/sole trader (can work remotely but need regular client meetings, so living near major cities helps). Regional work exists but is thinner and more project-dependent.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 2325, 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
- Adapt setscore
- Adapt to artists' creative demandscore
- Maintain theatre equipmentcore
- Maintain workshop spacecore
- Paint setscore
- Prevent fire in a performance environmentcore
- Understand artistic conceptscore
- Work safely with chemicalscore
- Finish project within budget
- Follow safety procedures when working at heights
- Follow work schedule
- Keep up with trends
- Lighting techniques
- Photography
- Prepare personal work environment
- Translate artistic concepts to technical designs
- Use personal protection equipment
- Work ergonomically
- Work safely with machines
- Work with respect for own safety
Common 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.
What Interior Designer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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