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The differences between interior decorators and architectural designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an interior decorator, becoming an architectural designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an architectural designer has an average salary of $59,122, which is higher than the $47,169 average annual salary of an interior decorator.
The top three skills for an interior decorator include customer service, in-home and space planning. The most important skills for an architectural designer are sketch, sketchup, and BIM.
| Interior Decorator | Architectural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $47,169 | $59,122 |
| Hourly rate | $22.68 | $28.42 |
| Growth rate | 1% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 11,194 | 54,358 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Interior decorators and architectural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Interior Decorator | Architectural Designer | |
| Average salary | $47,169 | $59,122 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $68,000 | Between $45,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Vermont |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between an interior decorator and an architectural designer in terms of educational background:
| Interior Decorator | Architectural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Interior Design | Architecture |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between interior decorators' and architectural designers' demographics:
| Interior Decorator | Architectural Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 23% | 6% |