Interior Designers Salary
Interior Designers in Burlington, NC make a median of $77,590 a year, or about $37.31 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.2), which stretches that salary to about $83,251 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,348/month, or 25.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $78K get you in Burlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Burlington’s Regional Price Parity (93.2). 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 Burlington
Burlington sits well above the national pay line for interior designers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $67K. Rent runs $1,348/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.2 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for interior designers in metros near Burlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Asheville | $60K | $62K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $64K | $66K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $64K | $66K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $61K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Burlington, NC
Entry-level interior designers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $58K 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
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 Burlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a interior designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Burlington?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 27.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,348/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for interior designers in Burlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new interior designers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,924/month. At HUD’s $1,348/month FMR, rent would take 70% 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 Burlington?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $78K here vs. $67K nationally.
How does Burlington compare to the national average for interior designers?
Burlington pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do interior designers make in Burlington, NC?
The median is $77,590 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,060, and experienced interior designers can clear $90,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Burlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,957/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,348/month, which eats 27.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a interior designers salary go in Burlington?
Burlington has a Regional Price Parity of 93.2 (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 $83,251 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.