What is the highest point that the average interior designer salary can hit? The answer to that is “depends” – but overall, it’s pretty high!
Interior designers are in demand all across the country, and the need for them is only going to get higher as the years go by. After all, who doesn’t like a good-looking space to work and live in?
If you’ve ever thought about becoming an interior designer, we’ve got you covered on all the basics you’ll need to get started. In this article, we’ll talk about what they do, where they can find work, and most importantly: how much money do interior designers make?
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What Does An Interior Designer Do?
While it may be easy to define the GENERAL responsibilities of an interior designer, it’s useful to set expectations on what can they do, depending on their experience. Interior designers usually:
- Subcontract, coordinate, and direct work. They’re a lot like architects in the sense that they have very little to do with the technical parts of the construction. They do however work with engineers, constructions workers, and other personnel as they oversee the work ongoing and make sure it follows their design.
- Plan the space of the interior. This includes furnishings, fixtures, decor, and everything else that the room might need. They’ll also coordinate with professionals responsible for installing or purchasing these items.
- Estimate costs of materials and fixtures. Most interior designers will be given a budget, and it’s their job to not go over it while still creating the best-looking space that their client can afford.
A lot of their duties (and therefore pay) will depend on their skill and the client’s budget. They can be involved in every step of the building’s construction or simply brought in as a consultant, depending on whether the interior designer is an entry-level, junior, or a senior planner.
How Much Do Interior Designers Get Paid In Australia?
According to sites like PayScale and Indeed.com, you can earn around $41,000 to $73,000 AUD as an interior designer. Salary-wise, that number only goes up – over the past couple of years, the median annual salary has increased from $40,000 AUD in 2014 to $53,000 AUD in 2018. That’s a rate of more than $25 per hour, or over $4,000 a month!
That’s ALSO not counting the assorted bonuses that you’ll get from completing projects. Depending on the terms of your contract, you can gain anything from $500 to $1000 AUD added to your interior designer salary. Australia’s growth rate among interior designers is also on the rise (alongside architecture), meaning that the market is ready to pay for more talent!
Where Can I Earn The Most As An Interior Designer In Australia?
Interior designers are often in demand around the urban-residential areas of the country – think Perth, Sydney, or Melbourne. Business or professional setups can also acquire similar services, but they’re often given to firms, not individual interior designers.
The best way for you to get started is to take on smaller, residential projects before moving on to big outfits like home offices and smaller professional spaces. Like any real estate job, being an interior designer starts with choosing the right location, both for your projects and scouting for potential clients.
How Can I Get Started As An Interior Designer In Australia?
If you’re looking to get started in interior design, a certification is a must! Getting a certification gives you more credibility, an advantage over the competition, and a wider skill set to use in your projects!
You can also go one step further and enroll in a university that specifically offers a Bachelor’s in Interior Design. The University of Sydney and Billy Blue College of Design are two great picks since they’re in the metropolitan areas. That means that aside from theoretical knowledge, you’ll also get practical experience in hands-on interior design projects.
Building A Better Space For Everyone
As one of Australia’s fastest-rising industries, the future – and salary – of an interior designer has never looked better. If you’re dreaming of being an interior designer; with some hard work, a keen eye for detail, and a little flourish of creativity, you can turn that dream into a stable career!
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