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Interior decorator vs design consultant

The differences between interior decorators and design consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an interior decorator and a design consultant. Additionally, a design consultant has an average salary of $77,803, 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 a design consultant are product knowledge, java, and design process.

Interior decorator vs design consultant overview

Interior DecoratorDesign Consultant
Yearly salary$47,169$77,803
Hourly rate$22.68$37.41
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs11,19459,470
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Interior decorator vs design consultant salary

Interior decorators and design consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Interior DecoratorDesign Consultant
Average salary$47,169$77,803
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $68,000Between $50,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Pennsylvania
Best paying company-Slalom
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between interior decorator and design consultant education

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

Interior DecoratorDesign Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorInterior DesignInterior Design
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Interior decorator vs design consultant demographics

Here are the differences between interior decorators' and design consultants' demographics:

Interior DecoratorDesign Consultant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 17.1% Female, 82.9%Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9%
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 interior decorator and design consultant duties and responsibilities

Interior decorator example responsibilities.

  • Manage Pinterest, Facebook, and Houzz profiles by responding to questions and updating photos.
  • Conduct in-home design and custom window treatment consultations and sales.
  • Demonstrate skillful communication and negotiation skills.
  • Design, modele and render graphically intensive exteriors and interior environments and animations utilizing the latest in visualization technology.
  • Design, modele and render graphically intensive exteriors and interior environments and animations utilizing the latest in visualization technology.

Design consultant example responsibilities.

  • Manage a CMS website and WordPress blog.
  • Lead 5 country assessment of SME constraints and opportunities in order to program $2 million of donor funds.
  • Manage team of design, engineering, DBA, and QA members to implement wine club subscription e-commerce services.
  • Develop construction drawings using AutoCAD; coordinate bid process and vendor selection; and manage construction process through final punch list.
  • Manage the integration of multiple demonstration rooms into a comprehensive solution displaying design possibilities, implementation techniques, and corporate capabilities.
  • Specialize in RF telemetry circuits.
  • Show more

Interior decorator vs design consultant skills

Common interior decorator skills
  • Customer Service, 23%
  • In-Home, 11%
  • Space Planning, 8%
  • Custom Furniture, 8%
  • Trade Shows, 5%
  • Design Projects, 4%
Common design consultant skills
  • Product Knowledge, 9%
  • Java, 8%
  • Design Process, 8%
  • Design Services, 7%
  • Design Solutions, 6%
  • Leveraged, 5%

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