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Facility designer vs interior designer

The differences between facility designers and interior 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 facility designer, becoming an interior designer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a facility designer has an average salary of $63,152, which is higher than the $52,482 average annual salary of an interior designer.

The top three skills for a facility designer include revit, facilities design and space planning. The most important skills for an interior designer are revit, space planning, and sketch.

Facility designer vs interior designer overview

Facility DesignerInterior Designer
Yearly salary$63,152$52,482
Hourly rate$30.36$25.23
Growth rate3%1%
Number of jobs50,71448,020
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age3842
Years of experience124

What does a facility designer do?

A facility designer specializes in developing establishment plans according to project requirements. Although the extent of their responsibilities varies on every project, it usually includes meeting with clients to conceptualize facility plans, conducting research and analysis, visiting sites to perform measurements and assessments, utilizing special tools and software, and coordinating with engineers and clients. Moreover, a facility designer typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does an interior designer do?

An interior designer helps people decorate their rooms and spaces, creating the most functional and beautiful area as possible. They sit with clients to plan desired goals, visualize the space's functions, and sketch the design plan. Then, they pick and order materials and furnishings needed for the project. Additionally, they create a project timeline, estimate cost, and supervise the construction and installation. They follow-up with clients to guarantee their satisfaction once the project is completed. Interior designers should have an understanding of building and construction as well as public safety and security. They must be flexible in their time since they work to meet client needs.

Facility designer vs interior designer salary

Facility designers and interior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Facility DesignerInterior Designer
Average salary$63,152$52,482
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $85,000Between $35,000 And $78,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSacramento, CA
Highest paying stateMarylandNorth Dakota
Best paying companyWalmartGerman International School New York
Best paying industryMediaConstruction

Differences between facility designer and interior designer education

There are a few differences between a facility designer and an interior designer in terms of educational background:

Facility DesignerInterior Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorInterior DesignInterior Design
Most common collegeGeorgia Institute of TechnologyCornell University

Facility designer vs interior designer demographics

Here are the differences between facility designers' and interior designers' demographics:

Facility DesignerInterior Designer
Average age3842
Gender ratioMale, 68.9% Female, 31.1%Male, 21.0% Female, 79.0%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage13%23%

Differences between facility designer and interior designer duties and responsibilities

Facility designer example 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.
  • Set up and navigate models with Navisworks for client model
  • Create piping models for oil and gas industry using CadWorx.
  • Show more

Interior designer example responsibilities.

  • Establish and manage firm's account on NYC DOB website; fulfill office duties and manage office.
  • Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
  • Project management, interior design, transition planning, and furniture specification for military healthcare projects.
  • Participate on leer certified projects.
  • Put together client invoices in QuickBooks.
  • Design email using HTML and inline CSS/CSS3.
  • Show more

Facility designer vs interior designer skills

Common facility designer skills
  • Revit, 16%
  • Facilities Design, 7%
  • Space Planning, 5%
  • Construction Drawings, 5%
  • Calculation, 5%
  • HVAC, 5%
Common interior designer skills
  • Revit, 12%
  • Space Planning, 8%
  • Sketch, 6%
  • Design Concepts, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • FF, 5%

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