How To Become A Facility Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a facility designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Abby Guido

When an organization needs to plan and develop new buildings and facilities, it calls upon the services of a facilities designer. Facilities designers provide support for and participate in the design processes for site development, building planning, and design of new and renovated facilities.

Some of the duties these designers perform on the job include formulating and enforcing of design standards, leading feasibility studies, performing construction administration duties, and coordinating zoning, building permitting, and other issues. In addition, they may perform design specifications within a specific field of expertise, such as lighting, roofing, elevator, hardware, plumbing, or fire protection systems.

Facilities designers typically work under the direct supervision of staff architects, engineers or others associated with facility management. If you're hoping to become a facilities designer, you'll need to have an Associate's degree or higher in design technology, construction technology, or related discipline. Some employers may require a Bachelor's degree in architecture or industrial design.

What general advice would you give to a facility designer?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreFacility DesignerUS Average

Salary

4.9

Avg. Salary $63,152

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.2

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 10.42%

Black or African American 3.42%

Hispanic or Latino 10.63%

Unknown 4.99%

White 70.17%

Gender

female 31.13%

male 68.87%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress level

4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a facility designer

Explore facility designer education requirements

Most common facility designer degrees

Bachelor's

60.0 %

Associate

23.4 %

Master's

12.3 %

Start to develop specific facility designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Revit	16.00%
Facilities Design	6.96%
Space Planning	5.46%
Construction Drawings	5.36%
Calculation	5.31%

Complete relevant facility designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New facility designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a facility designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real facility designer resumes.

Gain additional facility designer certifications

Facility designer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific facility designer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for facility designers include National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Certified Facility Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research facility designer duties and responsibilities

Manage general facilities including commissioning, building management systems, and calibrations for GMP area for tablets production operation.
Do the DCR of LDPE plant using PDMS.
Design of piping service systems using PDMS.
Set up models in Navisworks for client review.

Prepare your facility designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your facility designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a facility designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable facility designer resume templates

Build a professional facility designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your facility designer resume.