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Interior design salary in Australia: how it compares to the national average

The median full-time interior design salary is about $87,984 a year, well below the national full-time average of $108,352.

This sits on the Australian full-time average.

Week, hour, and a tax sketch

$2,084 a week · $54.83 an hour if spread over 38 hours

About $83,159 after resident income tax and a 2% Medicare levy.

2026–27 resident rates and a 2% Medicare levy. Not a tax assessment.Open the full line

Interior design salary in Australia

If you are looking at an interior design salary in Australia, the most reliable public figure comes from Jobs and Skills Australia. Based on ABS data from May 2025, the median full-time weekly earnings for interior designers is $1,692. That works out to about $87,984 a year before tax (multiplied by 52 weeks).

This is a median, not an average. It means half of full-time interior designers earn more than this and half earn less. The national full-time adult ordinary-time average, from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, is $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year. So the typical interior designer earns about $20,000 a year less than the national full-time average.

Where the figure comes from

Jobs and Skills Australia publishes occupation profiles using the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours. For interior designers (ANZSCO 2325), the median full-time weekly earnings is $1,692. The survey covers non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, which gives a fair comparison across occupations. The ABS also reports that the median weekly earnings for all full-time employees was $1,741 in August 2025, and the all-employees median (including part-time) was $1,425.

How interior design pay compares

  • National full-time average: $2,083.70/week ($108,352/year) – interior designers are about 19% below this.
  • All-occupations full-time median: $1,852/week – interior designers are about 9% below.
  • Professionals median: $1,900/week – interior designers are below the broad professional category.
  • Men's full-time average: $2,181.50/week ($113,412/year) – interior design is a female-dominated occupation (73% women), which may partly explain the gap.
  • Women's full-time average: $1,934.50/week ($100,594/year) – interior designers are still below this.

Take-home pay sketch

Using the 2026–27 tax rates (tax-free threshold $18,200; 15% on the next $26,800; 30% on the next $90,000; plus 2% Medicare levy), a full-time interior designer earning the median of $87,984 would pay about $18,238 in tax and Medicare, leaving $69,746 take-home. That is roughly $1,341 a week.

For context, someone on the national full-time average of $108,352 would take home about $82,520 after tax, or $1,587 a week. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week.

What about award coverage?

Interior designers may be covered by the Professional Employees Award 2020 or the Architects Award, depending on their role and employer. The Fair Work Commission increased award minimums by 4.75% from 1 July 2026. However, most interior designers earn above award rates, so the median figure from the ABS is a better guide to actual market pay.

State differences

The national average masks state variation. For example, the full-time average in New South Wales is about $109,658, in Victoria $106,137, and in Western Australia $115,825. Interior designers in higher-paying states may earn more than the national median, but state-level data for this occupation is not published.

How to use this information

This site compares your salary against the national full-time average line. You can place a salary on the line to see where you sit. For more detail on how earnings vary by location, see states and territories. If you want to compare with other jobs, browse job medians or industry medians.

Key points to remember

  • The interior design salary figure is a median, not an average. It comes from Jobs and Skills Australia, using ABS data from May 2025.
  • The national full-time average is from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026. It is updated twice a year (May and November).
  • The all-employees median (including part-time) is $1,425 a week, or about $74,100 a year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).
  • Tax estimates are based on 2026–27 rates and the 2% Medicare levy. They do not include the low-income tax offset or other offsets.

For more on how the figures are calculated, see how the figures are set. For general guides on salary and tax, see guides. And for information about this site, see about this site.

Questions

What is the average interior design salary in Australia?

The ABS does not publish an average salary for interior designers. The most reliable figure is the median full-time weekly earnings of $1,692, from Jobs and Skills Australia (based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). That works out to about $87,984 a year before tax. The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 a week, or $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026).

How does interior design pay compare to other professions?

The median full-time weekly earnings for interior designers ($1,692) is below the all-occupations median of $1,852 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). It also sits under the national full-time average of $2,083.70. Among professionals, the median weekly earnings are $1,900, so interior design is below that broad category. The gap reflects the industry mix: about 70% of interior designers work full-time, and many are in the professional, scientific and technical services sector.

What would a typical interior designer take home after tax?

On a median full-time salary of about $87,984, using 2026–27 tax rates (tax-free threshold $18,200; 15% to $45,000; 30% to $135,000; plus 2% Medicare levy), the estimated annual tax is about $18,238, leaving around $69,746 take-home. That is about $1,341 a week. For comparison, someone earning the national full-time average of $108,352 would take home about $82,520 after tax and Medicare.

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