How to become an interior designer

1. 1Build a portfolio in high school

   Time: 4 years (high school)Sources 1

   Take art, drawing, geometry and any drafting or computer-aided design class your school offers. Many interior design programs ask applicants for sketches or other examples of creative work, so keep a folder of drawings, room plans, photos of projects and anything you build or design. A part-time job at a furniture, paint or home-improvement store gives you early practice talking with customers about finishes and layouts.

2. 2Earn an interior design degree

   Time: 4 years (bachelor's); 2 years (associate)Cost: $10,719/yr median public in-state tuition (design bachelor's)Sources 1, 4, 3

   A bachelor's degree in interior design is the standard entry route. Choose a program accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) if you plan to sit for the NCIDQ Exam, because it gives the shortest work-experience requirement. Coursework covers drawing, space planning, building codes, lighting, materials, construction documents and CAD and BIM software, with studio projects every term. An associate degree or certificate is enough for some retail and residential jobs.

3. 3Take the IDFX in your final year

   Time: Final year of school or right afterCost: $305 exam fee plus $100 applicationSources 2, 3

   CIDQ lets students in the last year of a bachelor's or master's interior design program, and recent graduates, apply for the IDFX (Fundamentals Exam) on its own under Route 2. It is a 3-hour computer-based test of codes, building systems, design principles and technical knowledge. Exams are given in April and October windows, at Prometric test centers or by Prometric remote proctoring, and you must pass the IDFX within four exam administrations of approval.

4. 4Work under a qualified designer

   Time: About 2 years full-time (3,520 hours)Cost: Paid workSources 3, 5

   After a CIDA-accredited bachelor's degree, CIDQ requires 3,520 hours of interior design experience verified by a direct supervisor or sponsor. The hours must include minimums in each phase: 200 in programming, 200 in schematic design, 300 in design development, 400 in construction documents, 200 in contract administration and 200 in professional practice. Non-CIDA bachelor's graduates need 5,280 hours, and associate or certificate holders need 7,040.

5. 5Pass the IDPX and IDIX

   Time: One or two exam windowsCost: $365 IDPX + $470 IDIX + $150 applicationSources 2, 3

   With your work hours verified, apply for the IDPX (Professional Exam) and IDIX (Implementation Exam), which replaced the old Practicum. Both are computer-based, scored from 200 to 800, and 500 is passing. Once you pass all three sections you hold an NCIDQ Certificate, which you renew every year for $85 while meeting your state board's continuing education rules or, if you are not state-registered, completing 5 hours of health, safety and welfare continuing education.

6. 6Register or license with your state if required

   Time: A few weeksCost: Varies by stateSources 1, 7

   States that regulate interior design generally use the NCIDQ Exam as their licensing test. In some, only licensed designers may practice interior design on code-regulated projects; in others, only registered designers may use the title; and many states have no rule. Look up your state's board in the CareerOneStop License Finder before you plan your career around a particular title.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Code knowledge

Exit widths, fire ratings and ADA clearances decide whether a layout passes plan review, and codes and life safety is a scored content area of the NCIDQ Exam.

CAD and BIM drafting

Contractors build from your construction drawings, so they have to be dimensioned and detailed accurately in software such as AutoCAD or Revit.

Visual judgment

You need to see how color, light, scale and materials will read together in a finished room before anything is ordered.

Client communication

Clients often struggle to describe what they want, and you must turn vague wishes and a fixed budget into choices they will sign off on.

Budget and schedule control

Backordered furniture or a contractor's change order can wreck a project, so you track costs and lead times from the first estimate to installation.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, critical thinking, writing.

Training cost

$44.3K–$49.4K

Before financial aid

Time

4 years to start; about 6 years to NCIDQ certification

Typical path

Median pay

$67,190

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

2.7–3.0 yrs

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: 4 years x College Scorecard median public in-state tuition for design and applied arts bachelor's programs, $10,719 = $42,876, plus NCIDQ Route 1 fees of $1,375 ($235 application + $305 IDFX + $470 IDIX + $365 IDPX). High: 4 years x the interior architecture median, $11,998 = $47,992, plus Route 2 fees of $1,390 (two applications, $100 and $150, plus the same three exam fees). Not included: studio supplies, a laptop and software, state license fees, books and living costs. Private design schools can cost much more.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Senior or principal interior designer

  With NCIDQ certification and several years of project experience, designers lead teams, manage client accounts and sign off on drawings in regulated states.

• Architect$99,280 median

  Requires a NAAB-accredited architecture degree, the Architectural Experience Program and the ARE exams; interior design experience does not replace them.

• Construction manager$114,990 median

  Designers who enjoy site work can move into managing build-outs, usually adding construction management courses or a degree.

• Graphic designer or environmental branding$62,960 median

  Designers with strong visual skills sometimes move into signage, wayfinding and brand design for spaces, building a graphic design portfolio.