Interior Designers Salary
Interior Designers in Pittsburgh, PA make a median of $60,380 a year, or about $29.03 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $63,779 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,299/month, about 32.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Pittsburgh?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). 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 Pittsburgh
Interior designers pay in Pittsburgh tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $67K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,299/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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 Pittsburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $65K | $63K |
| Lancaster | $61K | $62K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $65K | $66K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $59K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level interior designers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $52K 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 Pittsburgh numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a interior designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 32% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/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 Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new interior designers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,648/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $67K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for interior designers?
Pittsburgh pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do interior designers make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $60,380 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,140, and experienced interior designers can clear $96,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,058/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 32% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (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 $63,779 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.