Interior Designer.
San Diego.
$71,000
median salary, 13% above the national average
$56,000 to $91,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
San Diego is 17% more expensive than the national average. For Interior Designers, that shakes out to a median of $71,000, with the full range spanning $56,000 to $91,000. 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 San Diego, 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 $80,640 for Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, based on 820 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$57,220
25th percentile
$66,360
Median
$80,640
75th percentile
$94,640
90th percentile
$107,970
Workers surveyed
820
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 San Diegorange 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 $64,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$46,000
to $57,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$60,000
to $75,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$78,000
to $92,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$89,000
to $110,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $20,000 to the total package.
Base
$71,000
Equity
$12,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $91,000
How San Diego compares.
San Diego, CA
$71,000
Cost of living: 17% above average
National Average
$63,000
San Diego is $8,000 above
Interior Designer salary by city.
Salary by role in San Diego.
What you should know.
The Interior Designer landscape in San Diego is not what most salary sites will tell you. San Diego's economy thrives on defense, biotech, and a growing tech startup scene. The city's proximity to major military installations drives strong aerospace and cybersecurity demand. Biotech companies along the Torrey Pines corridor compete aggressively for scientific and engineering talent, pushing specialized salaries close to Bay Area levels. 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 San Diego, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 17% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: california's top 13.3% state tax applies here. While San Diego has no city income tax, the state burden means you should negotiate gross pay higher than you might expect for the cost of living. When someone quotes you $71,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage defense and biotech sector demand. Candidates with security clearances or specialized science backgrounds can command 15 to 20% premiums in San Diego. The range for Interior Designers in San Diego runs from $56,000 to $91,000. 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.
Other salaries in San Diego.
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