Interior Designer.
Columbus.
$56,000
median salary, 11% below the national average
$45,000 to $72,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Interior Designer salary in Columbus is $56,000, 11% below the national average. Entry level starts near $45,000. Experienced professionals push past $72,000. Columbus is Ohio's largest city and a growing technology and logistics hub, home to companies like Nationwide Insurance and a major Intel semiconductor fab under construction. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 Columbus, 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 $62,180 for Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) in the Columbus, OH metropolitan area, based on 670 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$49,490
25th percentile
$54,400
Median
$62,180
75th percentile
$91,340
90th percentile
$122,650
Workers surveyed
670
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 Columbusrange 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 $51,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$36,000
to $45,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$48,000
to $59,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$62,000
to $73,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$70,000
to $87,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$56,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $73,000
How Columbus compares.
Columbus, OH
$56,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
National Average
$63,000
Columbus is $7,000 below
Interior Designer salary by city.
Salary by role in Columbus.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Interior Designer roles in Columbus, here is what you are walking into. Columbus is Ohio's largest city and a growing technology and logistics hub, home to companies like Nationwide Insurance and a major Intel semiconductor fab under construction. The city's large university system and low cost of living attract both startups and corporate expansions. Tech salaries have been climbing as national employers establish Midwest offices. 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 Columbus, 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: ohio's income tax tops out around 3.5%, and Columbus adds a city income tax of 2.5%. The combined rate is moderate, but the city tax applies to all who work within city limits. When someone quotes you $56,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Mention Intel's new fab investment when negotiating. The semiconductor megaproject is driving salaries upward across the entire Columbus tech and engineering market. The range for Interior Designers in Columbus runs from $45,000 to $72,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- An Electrician in Columbus earns $55,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Columbus is CTO at $285,000
Common questions.
Interior Designer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Columbus.
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