Interior Designer.
Raleigh.
$65,000
median salary, 3% above the national average
$51,000 to $83,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Interior Designer pay in Raleigh ranges from $51,000 to $83,000 in 2026. The median is $65,000, 3% above the national average. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. 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 Raleigh, 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 $64,480 for Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, based on 470 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$40,480
25th percentile
$52,610
Median
$64,480
75th percentile
$78,210
90th percentile
$98,780
Workers surveyed
470
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 Raleighrange 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 $59,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$42,000
to $52,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$55,000
to $68,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$72,000
to $85,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$81,000
to $101,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $19,000 to the total package.
Base
$65,000
Equity
$11,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $84,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$65,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$63,000
Raleigh is $2,000 above
Interior Designer salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate an Interior Designer offer in Raleigh, understand the terrain. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. 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 Raleigh, 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: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $65,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Interior Designers in Raleigh runs from $51,000 to $83,000. 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
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Common questions.
Interior Designer salary in other cities.
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