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The differences between interior design interns and assistant 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 design internship, becoming an assistant designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an assistant designer has an average salary of $52,475, which is higher than the $45,975 average annual salary of an interior design internship.
The top three skills for an interior design internship include revit, sketch and auto cad. The most important skills for an assistant designer are sketch, tech packs, and adobe illustrator.
| Interior Design Internship | Assistant Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,975 | $52,475 |
| Hourly rate | $22.10 | $25.23 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 88,151 | 47,598 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
When it comes to interior design internship, interns are typically responsible for performing support tasks and gaining industry insights while under the supervision of managers or senior designers. They often participate in designing spaces, responding to clients' calls and correspondence, answering inquiries, and preparing conceptual presentations for clients. They may also run errands and perform clerical tasks such as preparing progress reports and documentation, create proposals, and even schedule appointments. Moreover, as an intern, it is essential to understand and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
Assistant designers act as administrative support to senior designers in creating innovative designs by negotiating with the vendors about the prices of decoration materials. They are keen and up-to-date to the latest fashion and trends by conducting surveys and research. They are exceptionally creative and innovative and have excellent IT skills as they use illustration, typography, and photography layouts in the design process. However, being an assistant designer, career development relies on his/her /her specialism, reputation, and experience depending on how its opportunities are influenced by the company he/she works for.
Interior design interns and assistant designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Interior Design Internship | Assistant Designer | |
| Average salary | $45,975 | $52,475 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $63,000 | Between $37,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | LEO A DALY | PVH |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between an interior design internship and an assistant designer in terms of educational background:
| Interior Design Internship | Assistant Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Interior Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between interior design interns' and assistant designers' demographics:
| Interior Design Internship | Assistant Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1% | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 23% | 13% |