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Best states for an interior design internship

Quoted expert
Linda Manikowske Ph.D.
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to interior design internship jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. As interior design interns are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for interior design interns. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an interior design internship, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
The median salary for interior design interns in Oregon is $50,076. Compare that to the median salary in Mississippi of $29,133, which ranked worst for interior design interns, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Oregon is the best state for interior design internship jobs, whereas Mississippi is the worst.

10 best states for interior design interns in 2026

  1. Oregon #1 best state for interior design interns

    1. Oregon

    Total interior design internship jobs:409
    Average annual salary:$50,076
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$34,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$72,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.75
  2. North Dakota #2 best state for interior design interns

    2. North Dakota

    Total interior design internship jobs:56
    Average annual salary:$52,426
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$38,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$71,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.07
  3. California #3 best state for interior design interns

    3. California

    Total interior design internship jobs:2,721
    Average annual salary:$53,923
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$36,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$78,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.65
  4. Washington #4 best state for interior design interns

    4. Washington

    Total interior design internship jobs:525
    Average annual salary:$49,816
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$34,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$71,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.27
  5. New York #5 best state for interior design interns

    5. New York

    Total interior design internship jobs:784
    Average annual salary:$49,957
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$33,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$73,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.08
  6. Rhode Island #6 best state for interior design interns

    6. Rhode Island

    Total interior design internship jobs:70
    Average annual salary:$48,164
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$32,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$71,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.02
  7. New Mexico #7 best state for interior design interns

    7. New Mexico

    Total interior design internship jobs:83
    Average annual salary:$53,240
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$37,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$75,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.75
  8. Iowa #8 best state for interior design interns

    8. Iowa

    Total interior design internship jobs:215
    Average annual salary:$45,607
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$33,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$62,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.05
  9. Arizona #9 best state for interior design interns

    9. Arizona

    Total interior design internship jobs:384
    Average annual salary:$45,723
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$32,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$65,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.16
  10. Idaho #10 best state for interior design interns

    10. Idaho

    Total interior design internship jobs:85
    Average annual salary:$47,007
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$32,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$67,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.92

Interior design internship jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be an interior design internship

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for an interior design internship

RankStateAverage salaryLowest 10% earnPopulationJob count
1Oregon$50,076$34,0004,142,776409
2North Dakota$52,426$38,000755,39356
3California$53,923$36,00039,536,6532,721
4Washington$49,816$34,0007,405,743525
5New York$49,957$33,00019,849,399784
6Rhode Island$48,164$32,0001,059,63970
7New Mexico$53,240$37,0002,088,07083
8Iowa$45,607$33,0003,145,711215
9Arizona$45,723$32,0007,016,270384
10Idaho$47,007$32,0001,716,94385
11Texas$44,548$31,00028,304,5961,265
12Kansas$46,468$33,0002,913,123150
13District of Columbia$49,810$34,000693,97298
14Wisconsin$44,988$32,0005,795,483295
15Arkansas$49,154$35,0003,004,27991
16Connecticut$44,816$30,0003,588,184237
17Pennsylvania$46,739$31,00012,805,537483
18New Hampshire$42,517$29,0001,342,795112
19Massachusetts$43,571$29,0006,859,819622
20Minnesota$42,939$31,0005,576,606390
21Delaware$43,379$29,000961,93976
22Michigan$40,563$28,0009,962,311534
23New Jersey$46,746$31,0009,005,644309
24West Virginia$43,343$30,0001,815,85756
25Ohio$41,874$29,00011,658,609455
26Maine$41,575$28,0001,335,90777
27Colorado$42,600$30,0005,607,154331
28Missouri$42,188$30,0006,113,532254
29North Carolina$41,036$28,00010,273,419481
30Georgia$40,976$29,00010,429,379512
31Kentucky$41,184$29,0004,454,189138
32Nevada$41,848$28,0002,998,03982
33Alaska$37,580$30,000739,79548
34Indiana$40,649$29,0006,666,818242
35Maryland$41,089$28,0006,052,177307
36Virginia$39,155$27,0008,470,020480
37Montana$35,991$25,0001,050,49365
38Hawaii$39,981$30,0001,427,53837
39Illinois$38,965$27,00012,802,023520
40Alabama$35,770$25,0004,874,747215
41South Dakota$33,678$24,000869,66656
42Wyoming$29,324$21,000579,31544
43Florida$37,556$26,00020,984,400700
44Louisiana$39,249$27,0004,684,333101
45Vermont$28,702$19,000623,65755
46Utah$31,430$22,0003,101,833181
47Nebraska$34,004$24,0001,920,07689
48South Carolina$32,268$23,0005,024,369202
49Tennessee$33,741$24,0006,715,984193
50Oklahoma$33,083$23,0003,930,864120
51Mississippi$29,133$20,0002,984,10071

Highest paying states for interior design interns

RankStateAvg. Interior Design Internship Salary
1Oregon$50,076
2North Dakota$52,426
3California$53,923
4Washington$49,816
5New York$49,957
6Rhode Island$48,164
7New Mexico$53,240
8Iowa$45,607
9Arizona$45,723
10Idaho$47,007
11Texas$44,548
12Kansas$46,468
13District of Columbia$49,810
14Wisconsin$44,988
15Arkansas$49,154
16Connecticut$44,816
17Pennsylvania$46,739
18New Hampshire$42,517
19Massachusetts$43,571
20Minnesota$42,939
21Delaware$43,379
22Michigan$40,563
23New Jersey$46,746
24West Virginia$43,343
25Ohio$41,874
26Maine$41,575
27Colorado$42,600
28Missouri$42,188
29North Carolina$41,036
30Georgia$40,976
31Kentucky$41,184
32Nevada$41,848
33Alaska$37,580
34Indiana$40,649
35Maryland$41,089
36Virginia$39,155
37Montana$35,991
38Hawaii$39,981
39Illinois$38,965
40Alabama$35,770
41South Dakota$33,678
42Wyoming$29,324
43Florida$37,556
44Louisiana$39,249
45Vermont$28,702
46Utah$31,430
47Nebraska$34,004
48South Carolina$32,268
49Tennessee$33,741
50Oklahoma$33,083
51Mississippi$29,133

Expert opinions on the best states for interior design interns

  • Are there any particularly good places in the United States for interior design internships to find work opportunities?

    Linda Manikowske Ph.D.Linda Manikowske Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

    Professor, North Dakota State University

    Graduates with a degree in Apparel, Retail Merchandising, and Design find work in all locations. Some find jobs in major cities working for large retail corporations while others start their own business in a small community or rural area. There are many opportunities in this diverse industry.

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