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The differences between custom designers and home designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a custom designer, becoming a home designer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a home designer has an average salary of $66,541, which is higher than the $59,230 average annual salary of a custom designer.
The top three skills for a custom designer include sketch, customer orders and customer service. The most important skills for a home designer are in-home, customer service, and design solutions.
| Custom Designer | Home Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,230 | $66,541 |
| Hourly rate | $28.48 | $31.99 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 45,123 | 86,223 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A custom designer's duties depend on their line of work or industry of employment. They are typically working together with a company's design and creative team where the tasks include meeting with clients to identify their preferences and needs, gathering and analyzing data to determine the best procedures, conceptualizing plans, drafting designs, and producing samples or prototypes for client approval. Furthermore, as a custom designer, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the creative and production team to ensure the accuracy and quality of the end product.
A home designer is responsible for executing creative designs for house furnishing according to clients' requirements and specifications. Home designers assess the clients' best interests to make decisions about layouts and structure. They also select the best materials and equipment that go along with the house's designs, customizing decors, and emphasize the elements of the residential space. A home designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in creating cost and expenses reports for the client's preference.
Custom designers and home designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Custom Designer | Home Designer | |
| Average salary | $59,230 | $66,541 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $81,000 | Between $38,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Alameda, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | General Motors | Best Buy |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a custom designer and a home designer in terms of educational background:
| Custom Designer | Home Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Interior Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between custom designers' and home designers' demographics:
| Custom Designer | Home Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.4% Female, 55.6% | Male, 53.6% Female, 46.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 23% |