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Design consultant salary
Average design consultant salary
$77,803
Understanding Design Consultant Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Design Consultant stands at $77,803 per year. This figure reflects the compensation across various industries where design consultants operate, including architectural, interior, and graphic design. Salaries can fluctuate significantly based on geographical location, with some states offering higher pay than others.
State-Specific Salary Insights
For instance, states like California and New York often provide some of the highest salaries, reflecting the cost of living and demand for design expertise. In contrast, regions with a lower cost of living may offer competitive yet lower salaries. Understanding these regional dynamics can aid prospective consultants in making informed decisions about their career paths.
Salary by Experience
Experience also plays a crucial role in determining salary. Entry-level design consultants may expect to earn less, while those with several years of experience can command much higher salaries, particularly when they specialize in niche areas of design. Job seekers can explore various resources to assess salary estimates and find opportunities that align with their skills and aspirations.
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Where can a Design Consultant earn more?
Design consultant salary estimates from across the web
Average design consultant salary by state
The highest-paying states for design consultants are Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and Washington. The lowest average design consultant salary states are South Dakota, Indiana, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for design consultants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $93,792 | $45.09 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $86,178 | $41.43 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $100,099 | $48.12 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $96,588 | $46.44 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $81,439 | $39.15 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $90,517 | $43.52 |
| 7 | Maine | $82,252 | $39.54 |
| 8 | Oregon | $88,196 | $42.40 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $89,166 | $42.87 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $97,035 | $46.65 |
| 11 | California | $90,325 | $43.43 |
| 12 | Michigan | $84,943 | $40.84 |
| 13 | Georgia | $85,909 | $41.30 |
| 14 | Iowa | $84,850 | $40.79 |
| 15 | Ohio | $85,859 | $41.28 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $84,270 | $40.51 |
| 17 | Vermont | $83,115 | $39.96 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $84,646 | $40.70 |
| 19 | New York | $84,540 | $40.64 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $88,900 | $42.74 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $80,916 | $38.90 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $82,873 | $39.84 |
| 23 | Illinois | $82,555 | $39.69 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $82,000 | $39.42 |
| 25 | Idaho | $80,601 | $38.75 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $68,541 | $32.95 |
| 27 | Delaware | $80,701 | $38.80 |
| 28 | Texas | $76,632 | $36.84 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $70,350 | $33.82 |
| 30 | Kansas | $76,331 | $36.70 |
| 31 | Utah | $67,146 | $32.28 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $62,146 | $29.88 |
| 33 | Arizona | $64,544 | $31.03 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $75,597 | $36.34 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $59,210 | $28.47 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $61,846 | $29.73 |
| 37 | Alabama | $59,524 | $28.62 |
| 38 | Missouri | $68,208 | $32.79 |
| 39 | Virginia | $65,638 | $31.56 |
| 40 | Colorado | $61,875 | $29.75 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $54,041 | $25.98 |
| 42 | Alaska | $62,681 | $30.14 |
| 43 | Maryland | $68,836 | $33.09 |
| 44 | Montana | $62,706 | $30.15 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $47,400 | $22.79 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $62,051 | $29.83 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $60,786 | $29.22 |
| 48 | Nevada | $59,731 | $28.72 |
| 49 | Florida | $54,196 | $26.06 |
| 50 | Indiana | $59,019 | $28.37 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $49,207 | $23.66 |
Highest paying cities for design consultants
The highest-paying cities for design consultants are San Francisco, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $103,293 | $49.66 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $100,575 | $48.35 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $96,636 | $46.46 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $94,880 | $45.62 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $90,480 | $43.50 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $89,203 | $42.89 |
| 7 | Newark, NJ | $89,032 | $42.80 |
| 8 | Kennesaw, GA | $86,572 | $41.62 |
| 9 | Dublin, OH | $85,285 | $41.00 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $84,761 | $40.75 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $83,193 | $40.00 |
| 12 | Newark, DE | $80,759 | $38.83 |
| 13 | Charlotte, NC | $80,711 | $38.80 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $77,682 | $37.35 |
| 15 | Wichita, KS | $75,372 | $36.24 |
| 16 | Hartford, CT | $70,069 | $33.69 |
| 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | $66,929 | $32.18 |
| 18 | Richmond, VA | $65,590 | $31.53 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $64,677 | $31.09 |
| 20 | Denver, CO | $61,868 | $29.74 |
Design consultant salary details
A design consultant's salary ranges from $50,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $119,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a design consultant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $119,000 | $9,917 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $77,803 | $6,484 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
Highest paying design consultant jobs
The highest paying types of design consultants are design director, design manager, and consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen And Bath Designer | $52,406 | $4,367 | $25.20 | 59,890 |
| Visual Merchandiser | $38,037 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 74,351 |
| Interior Designer | $52,482 | $4,373 | $25.23 | 48,020 |
| Kitchen Designer | $55,942 | $4,662 | $26.89 | 56,831 |
| Project Designer | $64,943 | $5,412 | $31.22 | 60,364 |
| Interior Design Internship | $45,975 | $3,831 | $22.10 | 88,151 |
Top companies hiring design consultants now:
Which companies pay design consultants the most?
Design consultant salaries at Slalom and SAP are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average design consultant salary at companies like RH and Ernst & Young are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slalom | $128,563 | $61.81 |
| 2 | SAP | $124,230 | $59.73 |
| 3 | RH | $120,180 | $57.78 |
| 4 | Ernst & Young | $119,216 | $57.32 |
| 5 | Synopsys | $118,656 | $57.05 |
| 6 | State Street | $115,978 | $55.76 |
| 7 | Dell | $113,783 | $54.70 |
| 8 | Guild Education | $111,020 | $53.38 |
| 9 | Thomson Reuters | $109,049 | $52.43 |
| 10 | Guidehouse | $105,632 | $50.78 |
| 11 | Accenture | $104,800 | $50.38 |
| 12 | Philips Medical Systems | $104,742 | $50.36 |
| 13 | Aditi Consulting | $104,425 | $50.20 |
| 14 | American Family Insurance | $104,361 | $50.17 |
| 15 | Tata Technologies | $104,306 | $50.15 |
| 16 | RGP | $102,723 | $49.39 |
| 17 | West Monroe | $102,700 | $49.38 |
| 18 | Salt River Project | $102,155 | $49.11 |
| 19 | Andersen | $102,008 | $49.04 |
| 20 | Deloitte | $99,887 | $48.02 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Design Consultant salary by industry
The average design consultant salary varies across industries:
- The average design consultant salary in the technology industry is $94,021, the highest of any industry.
- The average design consultant salary in the finance industry is $80,214.
- Design consultants in the retail industry earn an average salary of $64,894, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for design consultants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $94,021 | $45.20 |
| 2 | Professional | $80,214 | $38.56 |
| 3 | Health Care | $78,398 | $37.69 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $77,647 | $37.33 |
| 5 | Construction | $76,872 | $36.96 |
| 6 | Government | $65,584 | $31.53 |
| 7 | Hospitality | $65,431 | $31.46 |
| 8 | Retail | $64,894 | $31.20 |
High paying design consultant jobs
Design consultant salary trends
The average design consultant salary has risen by $12,872 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average design consultant earned $64,931 annually, but today, they earn $77,803 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for design consultants over the last decade.
Compare design consultant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average design consultant salary over time
Compare design consultant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Design consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,800 | $37.41 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $76,400 | $36.74 | +4.8% |
| 2023 | $72,800 | $34.99 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $70,200 | $33.76 | +3.3% |
| 2021 | $67,900 | $32.65 | +1.9% |
Recently added design consultant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Depot u | Design Consultant | Sacramento, CA | 06/27/2025 | $40,000 |
| Up Closets | Closet Design Consultant | Orlando, FL | 06/27/2025 | $26,088 |
| Bassett Furniture | 51775-Design Consultant | Wilmington, DE | 06/26/2025 | $70,000 |
| Bassett Furniture Industries Incorporated | Design Consultant | Tacoma, WA | 06/26/2025 | $50,000 |
| Ttec | Consultant, Solution Strategy & Design | Austin, TX | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| Armani | Design Consultant, Armani/Casa | Fine, NY | 06/26/2025 | $65,000 |
| HSN | CA Design Consultant | Solana Beach, CA | 06/25/2025 | $55,306 |
| Porven | Design Consultant II | San Jose, CA | 06/25/2025 | $50,000 |
| 3 Day Blinds | 3DB-Design Consultant-OH | Medina, OH | 06/22/2025 | $80,000 |
| 3 Day Blinds | 3DB-Design Consultant-NY | New York, NY | 06/21/2025 | $94,000 |
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