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Design specialist vs interior design assistant

The differences between design specialists and interior design assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a design specialist and an interior design assistant. Additionally, a design specialist has an average salary of $56,917, which is higher than the $47,621 average annual salary of an interior design assistant.

The top three skills for a design specialist include customer service, sketch and CAD. The most important skills for an interior design assistant are space planning, in-home, and revit.

Design specialist vs interior design assistant overview

Design SpecialistInterior Design Assistant
Yearly salary$56,917$47,621
Hourly rate$27.36$22.89
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs68,34746,701
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a design specialist do?

A design specialist is responsible for creating engaging visual images and digital content to improve customers' brand awareness about the organization's products and services. Design specialists may also work for media production, creating graphic animations for viewers depending on production requirements and media demands. A design specialist must have excellent knowledge of utilizing various software tools and programs, coordinating with the whole design team on adjusting plans, improving layouts according to budget limitations, and submitting deliverables within the set deadlines.

What does an interior design assistant do?

Interior design assistants are professionals who are responsible for providing direct administrative support while assisting interior designers with various tasks. These assistants are required to run errands and contact clients through phones to obtain important information. They are required to visit stores or shop online to obtain a multitude of materials when working on a project. They must assist interior designers in moving furniture and taking photographs of spaces while measuring rooms and items. Interior design assistants must also manage important projects and ensure they are completed on time.

Design specialist vs interior design assistant salary

Design specialists and interior design assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Design SpecialistInterior Design Assistant
Average salary$56,917$47,621
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $91,000Between $34,000 And $66,000
Highest paying CityMenlo Park, CA-
Highest paying stateNew York-
Best paying companyBP America Inc-
Best paying industry--

Differences between design specialist and interior design assistant education

There are a few differences between a design specialist and an interior design assistant in terms of educational background:

Design SpecialistInterior Design Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorGraphic DesignInterior Design
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Design specialist vs interior design assistant demographics

Here are the differences between design specialists' and interior design assistants' demographics:

Design SpecialistInterior Design Assistant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 55.1% Female, 44.9%Male, 17.9% Female, 82.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 1.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.6% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage23%23%

Differences between design specialist and interior design assistant duties and responsibilities

Design specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage a program of training for designers without cad to get this training.
  • Develop construction drawings using AutoCAD; coordinate bid process and vendor selection; and manage construction process through final punch list.
  • Provide HTML support to the marketing department.
  • Update and maintain corporate website with Dreamweaver.
  • Create and maintain business's customer database in QuickBooks.
  • Implement front end GUI with JavaScript for client side validations.
  • Show more

Interior design assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage the website and twitter page, write the blog posts and attend numerous fashion shows and sample sale rooms.
  • Create a presentation or sketch mapping out the space.
  • Work extensively on AutoCad, powerpoint, Microsoft suite.
  • Organize and make weekly PowerPoint presentations to local realtors.
  • Review and reply to RFI resulting in delivering successful projects.
  • Create digital 3D render spaces of client projects using Google SketchUp.
  • Show more

Design specialist vs interior design assistant skills

Common design specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Sketch, 7%
  • CAD, 6%
  • Product Knowledge, 6%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
  • Graphic Design, 5%
Common interior design assistant skills
  • Space Planning, 9%
  • In-Home, 8%
  • Revit, 8%
  • Auto CAD, 8%
  • Administrative Tasks, 7%
  • Design Concepts, 6%

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