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The differences between commercial interior designers and architectural designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a commercial interior designer, becoming an architectural designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an architectural designer has an average salary of $59,122, which is higher than the $51,844 average annual salary of a commercial interior designer.
The top three skills for a commercial interior designer include revit, sketch and space planning. The most important skills for an architectural designer are sketch, sketchup, and BIM.
| Commercial Interior Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,844 | $59,122 |
| Hourly rate | $24.93 | $28.42 |
| Growth rate | 1% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 74,082 | 54,358 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Commercial interior designers and architectural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Interior Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Average salary | $51,844 | $59,122 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $75,000 | Between $45,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Florida Power & Light | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between a commercial interior designer and an architectural designer in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Interior Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Interior Design | Architecture |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between commercial interior designers' and architectural designers' demographics:
| Commercial Interior Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.6% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 23% | 6% |