Interior Designer.
Chicago.
$67,000
median salary, 6% above the national average
$53,000 to $86,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Chicago is 7% more expensive than the national average. For Interior Designers, that shakes out to a median of $67,000, with the full range spanning $53,000 to $86,000. Specialization in commercial, hospitality, or healthcare interiors drives higher pay than residential work. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Interior Designer in Chicago, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $76,570 for Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, based on 2,250 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$46,800
25th percentile
$61,240
Median
$76,570
75th percentile
$94,810
90th percentile
$131,990
Workers surveyed
2,250
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) rather than Interior Designer specifically. The Chicagorange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 27-1025Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $60,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$44,000
to $54,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$57,000
to $70,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$74,000
to $87,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$84,000
to $104,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $19,000 to the total package.
Base
$67,000
Equity
$11,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $86,000
How Chicago compares.
Chicago, IL
$67,000
Cost of living: 7% above average
National Average
$63,000
Chicago is $4,000 above
Interior Designer salary by city.
Salary by role in Chicago.
What you should know.
Here is what the Interior Designer market actually looks like in Chicago. Chicago's economy is anchored by finance, manufacturing, and a rapidly expanding tech sector. The city has become a major hub for fintech, enterprise SaaS, and e-commerce. With lower living costs than coastal cities and a deep talent pool from top universities, Chicago offers strong salary to cost of living ratios for professionals across industries. Specialization in commercial, hospitality, or healthcare interiors drives higher pay than residential work. Designers with NCIDQ certification, proficiency in Revit and 3D visualization, and a portfolio of large-scale projects earn at the top of the range in major metros.
Junior Interior Designers start at $46,000 to $54,000. Mid-level designers managing client relationships and full projects earn $58,000 to $72,000. Senior Designers and Design Directors reach $75,000 to $95,000, with firm principals and celebrity designers earning well above $120,000. In Chicago, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Self-employed interior designers often earn more through markup on furnishings and materials, adding 20 to 35% to effective income. Salaried roles may include bonuses of 5 to 10% and trade account access for personal projects. And on the tax side: illinois has a flat 4.95% state income tax. Chicago does not levy a separate city income tax, making the overall burden moderate compared to coastal metros. When someone quotes you $67,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference the Bay Area or NYC salary band for your role, then negotiate a modest discount. Chicago employers routinely offer 85 to 90% of coastal pay. The range for Interior Designers in Chicago runs from $53,000 to $86,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Common questions.
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