Interior Designers Salary
Interior Designers in Birmingham, AL make a median of $62,000 a year, or about $29.81 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.64), which stretches that salary to about $67,656 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,266/month, about 31.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K get you in Birmingham?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Birmingham’s Regional Price Parity (91.64). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About interior designers
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What this looks like in Birmingham
Interior designers pay in Birmingham tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $67K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,266/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for interior designers in metros near Birmingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | $78K | $84K |
| Montgomery | $61K | $68K |
| Mobile | $58K | $66K |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $59K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Birmingham, AL
Entry-level interior designers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $71K spread from bottom to top.
Interior Designers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Interior Designers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $98K | +47% | 620 |
| Wyoming | $96K | +43% | 90 |
| California | $80K | +19% | 8,500 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +19% | 1,580 |
| Colorado | $78K | +17% | 2,300 |
| Washington | $77K | +14% | 1,330 |
| Illinois | $76K | +14% | 2,570 |
| New York | $76K | +12% | 5,340 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +10% | 1,670 |
| Minnesota | $73K | +9% | 1,220 |
| Georgia | $72K | +7% | 3,050 |
| Arkansas | $70K | +4% | 740 |
| Oklahoma | $69K | +2% | 490 |
| Connecticut | $67K | +0% | 630 |
| Oregon | $66K | -1% | 1,030 |
| South Dakota | $65K | -3% | 150 |
| Texas | $65K | -3% | 6,450 |
| Maryland | $65K | -3% | 1,440 |
| Nebraska | $65K | -3% | 430 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | -5% | 300 |
| Vermont | $64K | -5% | 110 |
| Maine | $64K | -5% | 230 |
| South Carolina | $64K | -5% | 940 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -5% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $64K | -5% | 1,530 |
| Alaska | $63K | -6% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | -7% | 1,200 |
| Indiana | $63K | -7% | 1,020 |
| Virginia | $63K | -7% | 1,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | -7% | 1,820 |
| Montana | $62K | -8% | 290 |
| Utah | $62K | -8% | 1,110 |
| Arizona | $61K | -9% | 1,600 |
| Ohio | $61K | -9% | 2,180 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -9% | 2,610 |
| Kansas | $61K | -9% | 400 |
| Alabama | $61K | -9% | 620 |
| Florida | $61K | -9% | 7,410 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -9% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -10% | 350 |
| Delaware | $60K | -10% | 190 |
| Missouri | $60K | -11% | 1,010 |
| Michigan | $59K | -12% | 1,930 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -12% | 490 |
| North Dakota | $59K | -12% | 160 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | -14% | 550 |
| Iowa | $58K | -14% | 510 |
| West Virginia | $50K | -26% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -35% | 330 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track interior designers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Birmingham numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a interior designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Birmingham?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 31.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,266/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for interior designers in Birmingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new interior designers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,954/month. At HUD’s $1,266/month FMR, rent would take 65% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is interior designer a high-paying job in Birmingham?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $67K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Birmingham compare to the national average for interior designers?
Birmingham pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do interior designers make in Birmingham, AL?
The median is $62,000 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,560, and experienced interior designers can clear $103,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Birmingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,077/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,266/month, which eats 31.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a interior designers salary go in Birmingham?
Birmingham has a Regional Price Parity of 91.64 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median interior designers salary is worth about $67,656 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do interior designers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.