New ASID Research Highlights Trends in Interior Design Salaries, Benefits, and Hiring Practices
Two new research reports released Apr. 30 by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) show that overall, the interior design profession is strong and industry professionals are satisfied in their careers. Created to support interior designers across all professional levels, the âASID Compensation & Benefits Reportâ and the âASID Talent Acquisition Reportâ outline prevalent issues in the interior design workplace and offer data to empower the design community to a more inclusive and equitable future.
The âASID Compensation & Benefits Reportâ examines the interior design workforce through data collected as part of the ASID Member Census, conducted in 2023. Authored by Michael J. Berens, M.S., Ph. D, the report covers trends impacting salaries, benefits, and job satisfaction to provide insights within the design profession for hiring professionals and job seekers alike. ASIDâs âTalent Acquisition Report,â authored by Lisa Henry, Allied AIA, FASID, serves as a complement to the âCompensation & Benefits Report,â drawing from todayâs market conditions detailing challenges and strategies that design firms can use to tailor their talent retention and recruitment methods.
âAs the leading association for all members of the interior design community, ASID recognizes our responsibility to provide practitioners with a transparent view of the interior design profession across all sectors,â said Khoi Vo, chief executive officer, ASID. âThese reports give design professionals and other members of the design community the hard data needed to make informed career and business decisions, based on benefits and pay, and the impacts of gender, race and job satisfaction. While the industry has made great strides in diversity and gender equity, the ‘Compensation & Benefits Report’ shows there is still much work to be done.â
In recent years, increased demand for interior design services has created a tight labor market for talent. Findings from the âASID Compensation & Benefits Reportâ explore salaries and benefits across demographics including gender, education, region, race, job level, role, experience and more â along with job satisfaction by gender and firm size. With this information, employees can better assess their current job situation and make informed decisions about their future career choices, and employers can better understand the factors that most influence employeesâ hiring decisions, performance and retention. Notable findings include:
Salaries have increased over the past five years. The median annual salary for interior designers surveyed was up nearly 7% since last reported in 2018, aligning with recently published data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Salaries vary widely, but median salary ranges are consistent across the industry. Factors most likely to affect salary ranges at different role levels include firm size, firm specialization and firm location.
Education and certification affect salary levels. Higher earners tend to have earned a bachelorâs degree or higher. As a group, employees who are NCIDQ certified and/or are Registered or Certified Interior Designers (RID/CID) earn higher salaries than those who are not.
Employees place a high value on work flexibility, as well as benefits that contribute to their health, wellness and well-being. While monetary compensation remains a major driver of satisfaction, working conditions have a substantial impact on levels of satisfaction as well, which in turn affects engagement, productivity and retention.
Gender and age can affect employeesâ benefits. Findings from the report indicate that employees younger than 28 rank family or parental leave and car/travel allowances as most important, while older employees prefer health insurance and paid vacation and/or paid time off.
Overall, employees are generally satisfied with their jobs â their current roles, teams and organizations and those who have been in their current position for less than two years are most likely to be dissatisfied with their current situation.
Firms that understand evolving employee expectations, prioritize employee engagement and invest in their people can create a virtuous cycle that improves their ability to attract, develop and retain talent. The âASID Talent Acquisition Reportâ explores challenges and presents strategies that design firms can use to help leaders tailor and tune up their talent acquisition strategies. Regardless of the number of employees, different sized firms are impacted by the same demographic shifts and can customize many of these strategies and ideas to fit their culture and resource constraints.
âThe addition of the Talent Acquisition Report to our collection of research enables us to equip designers and businesses with in-depth tools, data and insights to inform their hiring practices and business operations,â said Vo.
Other findings from the report include:
Employers are framing their strategy for talent acquisition differently in an effort to attract and engage earlier career professionals. Successful firms provide support for work-life balance, physical and mental health. Firms that provide career path clarity and articulate a purpose are more competitive in winning the hearts and minds of these earlier career professionals.
Firms are re-evaluating their recruiting methods and taking advantage of remote work to attract candidates from new pools that were previously excluded due to geographical limitations or preferences. The surge in remote work styles precipitated by the pandemic and return-to-office efforts in 2023 has led firm leaders to find new ways to balance work styles with the expectations and preferences of their staff.
Compensation and other transactional benefits are just the baseline for keeping top talent; the relational side of work is what makes the difference. Recently, people reported ânot feeling valuedâ and âlacking a sense of belonging at workâ as top reasons for quitting their job. Thus, leaders who show genuine care about their employees may have the answer to turning attrition into attraction.
Both reports are sponsored by Sherwin Williams and are now available for interior designers, industry professionals and members of the public. The reports are free for ASID members, and $150 each for non-members.
For more information on the âASID Compensation & Benefits Reportâ and the âASID Talent Acquisition Reportâ, visit: https://www.asid.org/resources/research.
About ASID
The American Society of Interior Designers believes that design impacts lives. Through its programs, networks, and advocacy, ASID serves all those who are a part of the interior design profession and practice. This support extends to their membership, encompassing practitioners of all levels of training across all sectors of design, to Affiliate Members and Partners to represent all contributors to the built environment. ASID thrives on the strength of cross-functional and interdisciplinary relationships among designers of all specialties, including workplace, healthcare, retail and hospitality, education, institutional, and residential. As a leader in shared conversations around topics that matter in design, from evidence-based and human-centric design to social responsibility, well-being, and sustainability, ASID showcases the impact of design on the human experience and the value interior designers provide.
ASID will mark its 50th anniversary in 2025. Celebrating 50 years of industry leadership, ASID is committed to broadening the impact for the future of design in all of the places we work, play, and heal. Learn more at asid.org.
