How to hire an interior design internship

How to hire an interior design internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step interior design internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an interior design internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new interior design internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an interior design internship do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the interior design internship you need to hire. Certain interior design internship roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect interior design internship also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents interior design internship salaries for various positions.

   Type of Interior Design Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Interior Design Internship	Interior designers make interior spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting decorative items, such as colors, lighting, and materials. They read blueprints and must be aware of building codes and inspection regulations, as well as universal accessibility standards.	$15-30
   Visual Merchandiser	A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans... Show more	$12-25
   Design Consultant	A design consultant is a professional who provides expertise incorporating functionality and aesthetics to a space or product based on the evaluation of the needs of customers or clients. Design consultants may collaborate with other professionals such as architects, graphic designers, or fashion designers to cater to the needs of their customers... Show more	$24-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Sketch
   • Auto CAD
   • SketchUp
   • Design Solutions
   • PowerPoint
   • Space Planning
   • Design Firm
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Design Development
   • Design Projects
   • Design Process
   • Resource Library
   • FF

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the website and twitter page, write the blog posts and attend numerous fashion shows and sample sale rooms.
   • Work primarily with AutoCAD, SketchUp, and materials selection.
   • Conduct concept sketch, research materials and select furniture for these projects.
   • Create an initial design concept on sketch plans and as an online model.
   • Create finish board layouts and develop 3-D SketchUp renderings to assist presentations of finishes and interior features to clients.
   • Create client meeting PowerPoint presentation.

   More interior design internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your interior design internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An interior design internship can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, interior design interns' average salary in vermont is 47% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level interior design interns 48% less than senior-level interior design interns.
   • Certifications. An interior design internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an interior design internship's salary.

   Average interior design internship salary

   $45,975yearly

   $22.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level interior design internship salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average interior design internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$50,157	$24
   2	New York	$50,073	$24
   3	District of Columbia	$49,779	$24
   4	Arizona	$45,758	$22
   5	Texas	$44,990	$22
   6	Colorado	$42,561	$20
   7	Georgia	$41,248	$20
   8	Michigan	$40,194	$19
   9	Illinois	$39,163	$19
   10	Florida	$38,189	$18
   11	Utah	$31,289	$15

   Average interior design internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	LEO A DALY	$60,254	$28.97	1
   2	Jacobs Engineering Group	$58,791	$28.26
   3	HOK	$58,402	$28.08
   4	HKS Architects Inc.	$57,499	$27.64	36
   5	VOA Associates	$57,465	$27.63
   6	Stantec	$57,392	$27.59	186
   7	Gensler	$57,225	$27.51	117
   8	Olson Kundig	$57,051	$27.43
   9	StudioSIX5	$55,713	$26.79
   10	General Dynamics	$52,360	$25.17	15
   11	Steelcase	$46,110	$22.17	1
   12	Church Of Jesus Christ Inc	$44,091	$21.20
   13	Gulfstream Aerospace	$43,159	$20.75
   14	Atria Senior Living	$37,890	$18.22

4. Writing an interior design internship job description

   An interior design internship job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an interior design internship job description:

   Interior design internship job description example

   Job DescriptionEstablished in 1976, EDI is a global architecture, interior design and planning firm specializing in commercial, leisure, hospitality, residential, planning and landscape architecture projects
   
   Our commitment to innovation, technology and quality is recognized through more than 100 industry awards for excellence in planning, architecture and interior design services.
   Visit our website at www.edi-international.com
   
   Description
   
   The intern position is designed to provide students with on-the-job experiences and training that will help them learn the day-to-day operations of a successful Architecture department. Interns will have access to training and will help the assigned group with daily tasks while gaining an understanding the process of an Architectural Practice and learn associated software programs that are necessary to the position.
   Assist project teams with task completion related to assigned projects and participate in meetings, trainings and project updates as needed. Develop or enhance AutoCAD and/or Revit skills by assisting Architecture group in drafting, production, preparation, and delivery of projects documents for clients. Participate in and learn about the Architectural Design and Construction process by meeting project milestones, interfacing with clients, iterative design, consultant coordination and making site visits.
   
   Requirements:
   Good communication skills (written and verbal) Knowledge of basic computer skills, proficient with AutoCAD, Revit, Microsoft Office Suite Currently enrolled in an accredited university andpursuing a degree in interior design Creative, driven, team player with a willingness to learn and try new tasks, ask questions when something does not seem clear Must be able to work a minimum of 20 hours per week, up to 40 hours per week available.
   EDI International, PC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, EDI International, PC complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
   EDI International, PC expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment or retaliation based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find interior design interns for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your interior design internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality interior design internship candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit interior design interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new interior design internship

   Once you've found the interior design internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new interior design internship. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an interior design internship?