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Interior design internship vs interior designer

The differences between interior design interns and interior designers 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 design internship and an interior designer. Additionally, an interior designer has an average salary of $52,482, 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 interior designer are revit, space planning, and sketch.

Interior design internship vs interior designer overview

Interior Design InternshipInterior Designer
Yearly salary$45,975$52,482
Hourly rate$22.10$25.23
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs88,15148,020
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does an interior design internship do?

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.

What does an interior designer do?

An interior designer helps people decorate their rooms and spaces, creating the most functional and beautiful area as possible. They sit with clients to plan desired goals, visualize the space's functions, and sketch the design plan. Then, they pick and order materials and furnishings needed for the project. Additionally, they create a project timeline, estimate cost, and supervise the construction and installation. They follow-up with clients to guarantee their satisfaction once the project is completed. Interior designers should have an understanding of building and construction as well as public safety and security. They must be flexible in their time since they work to meet client needs.

Interior design internship vs interior designer salary

Interior design interns and interior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Interior Design InternshipInterior Designer
Average salary$45,975$52,482
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $63,000Between $35,000 And $78,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASacramento, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNorth Dakota
Best paying companyLEO A DALYGerman International School New York
Best paying industryConstructionConstruction

Differences between interior design internship and interior designer education

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

Interior Design InternshipInterior Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorInterior DesignInterior Design
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Interior design internship vs interior designer demographics

Here are the differences between interior design interns' and interior designers' demographics:

Interior Design InternshipInterior Designer
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 11.9% Female, 88.1%Male, 21.0% Female, 79.0%
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 design internship and interior designer duties and responsibilities

Interior design internship example 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.
  • Show more

Interior designer example responsibilities.

  • Establish and manage firm's account on NYC DOB website; fulfill office duties and manage office.
  • Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
  • Project management, interior design, transition planning, and furniture specification for military healthcare projects.
  • Participate on leer certified projects.
  • Put together client invoices in QuickBooks.
  • Design email using HTML and inline CSS/CSS3.
  • Show more

Interior design internship vs interior designer skills

Common interior design internship skills
  • Revit, 20%
  • Sketch, 8%
  • Auto CAD, 6%
  • SketchUp, 6%
  • Design Solutions, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
Common interior designer skills
  • Revit, 12%
  • Space Planning, 8%
  • Sketch, 6%
  • Design Concepts, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • FF, 5%

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