How to Become an Interior Designer in New Jersey

As an interior designer in New Jersey, you can work in a variety of industries such as architecture and contracting, kitchen and bath design and real estate. Before you can work as an interior designer, however, you will need to obtain your nationally recognized interior design licensure through the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) by taking the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination.

Search Certified Residential Interior Designer Programs

Get information on Certified Residential Interior Designer programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings

While it is possible to work as an interior designer with minimal training or experience, finding employment opportunities throughout the state might not be as easy or appealing. Unlike an interior decorator, who focuses more on interior décor, an interior designer combines creativity with technical training that is also backed by formal education and specific architectural skills.

Requirements for Becoming an Interior Designer in New Jersey

To become certified by the NCIDQ, you will need to attain a combination of formal education and work experience with the minimum being an associate’s degree in interior design plus four years of full-time work. Employment credit will only be given to those who work full-time under a licensed interior designer or architect, but the length of this work experience can be decreased by two years if you pursue a bachelor’s degree or higher. You cannot take the NCIDQ examination if you have not achieved the minimum qualification requirements.

Professional interior design organizations prefer to hire candidates with a high interior design education under their belts, which is why it is highly advised that one pursues a higher education should they wish to be successful in this field.

Featured School

Penn Foster Career School – Online Interior Decorator Career Diploma

Develop your natural talent for interior design with the Penn Foster’s regionally and nationally accredited Interior Decorator Program and Become Certified in as little as five months! You also receive a paid six-month Certified Interior Decorator (C.I.D.) professional membership upon successful completion of the program and the certification exam. Call 1-800-851-1819 today.

Interior Design Schools in New Jersey

New Jersey is home to a number of colleges and universities that offer degrees in interior design or interior architecture, but there are also online degree options for those who do not reside close enough to attend a particular interior design program.

  • Academy of Art University. Academy of Art University has a home base in San Francisco, California, but the university offers an option for students who would prefer an online degree program over a traditional on-campus learning environment. The Academy of Art University offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Interior Architecture and Design that can be completed 100 percent online
  • College of Architecture and Design, Newark. The College of Architecture and Design offers a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design that is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). The school works hard to ensure that students learn a variety of design disciplines, interacting with peers and faculty to work through all phases of the design and construction process. This four-year program is also studio-centric, which means that students will be given a hands-on approach to design, both creatively and technically.
  • Berkeley College, Woodland Park. Berkeley College offers an Associate Degree in Applied Science and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Interior Design. Both programs offer a curriculum that focuses on design fundamentals, theory, visual communication, culture and history, with a hands-on approach. Students will also learn how to use computer-aided design programs such as AutoCAD, SketchUp Pro and 3ds Max proficiently.

Certification for Interior Designers in New Jersey

In order to qualify to take the National Council of Interior Design Qualification Examination(NCIDQ exam), you will need to have a combination of work experience and formal education, with the minimum being an associate’s degree and four years of full-time employment under a licensed interior designer.

The accepted combinations of work experience and education include the following:

  • An interior design bachelor’s degree from a CIDA-accredited program plus two years of full-time work experience (3,520 hours under a certified interior designer)
  • An interior design bachelor’s degree that is not accredited plus two years of full-time work experience (3,520 hours under a certified interior designer)
  • A bachelor’s degree (minimum) in any other major and no less than 60 semester hours of Interior design work and two years of full-time work experience
  • An interior design associate degree (60 semester hours) and three years of full-time work experience (5,280 hours under a certified interior designer)
  • An interior design associate degree (40 semester hours) plus four years of full-time work experience (7,040 hours under a certified interior designer)
  • A Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree with three years of full-time work experience (5,280 hours under a certified interior designer)

The NCIDQ exam is split into three sections, including:

  • The Interior Design Fundamentals exam (IDFX)
  • The Interior Design Professional exam (IDPX)
  • The Practicum (PRAC) exam.

The registration fees for each of these are as follows: $295 for the IDFX exam, $350 for the IDPX exam and $455 for the PRAC exam. The penalty for scheduling an exam and then canceling is $150 per exam.

Career Outlook and Salary Expectations

The career outlook for interior designers in New Jersey is quite favorable, with interior designers in the state earning an average annual salary of $59,510, which is slightly below the national average of $61,590. In New Jersey, the lowest 10% of earners make $40,760 or less, while the highest 10% can earn $101,550 or more. This data indicates a competitive wage landscape for professionals in the field, with a range of earning potential based on experience, specialization, and location within the state.

National vs. New Jersey Salaries for Interior Designers

Location Annual Low (10%) Annual Median Annual High (90%)
United States $36,610 $61,590 $101,550
New Jersey $40,760 $59,510 $101,550

Salaries and Percentiles by Region in New Jersey for Interior Designers

Region Annual Low (10%) Annual QL (25%) Annual Median (50%) Annual QU (75%) Annual High (90%)
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $36,290 $45,960 $59,560 $76,960 $99,950
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA $41,770 $50,340 $73,740 $97,370 $105,650
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $40,760 $48,490 $64,540 $80,600 $92,510
Trenton, NJ $38,490 $47,820 $57,630 $71,870 $95,820

Interior Designer Trends in New Jersey

In New Jersey, the employment outlook for Interior Designers shows a slight increase, with the number of employed interior designers expected to grow from 1,490 in 2020 to 1,500 by 2030, marking a 1% growth rate. This projection indicates a relatively stable demand for interior designers in the state over the next decade. Annually, there are projected to be 140 job openings for interior designers in New Jersey during this period, which accounts for both new positions due to industry growth and replacements for vacancies created by workers leaving the field.

Employement Trends

Aspect New Jersey United States
Employment (2020 for NJ, 2022 for US) 1,490 employees 94,900 employees
Projected Employment (2030 for NJ, 2032 for US) 1,500 employees 98,700 employees
Projected Growth 1% 4%
Projected Annual Job Openings (2020-2030 for NJ, 2022-2032 for US) 140 9,000

Souces of data:

The data provided in the summaries and tables comes from the O*NET Online website, specifically from the pages detailing employment trends and wage information for Interior Designers in New Jersey and nationwide. The employment trend data is sourced from Projections Central and the wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the year 2022-2032. These sources are reputable for their comprehensive and up-to-date labor market information, including occupation-specific employment projections and wage statistics across the United States.

Working as an Interior Designer in New Jersey

As an interior designer in New Jersey, you could work in restoration, at furniture design companies, architecture and contracting firms, in real estate or even for companies like Staples, Inc.

Job opportunities in the cities of Trenton, Hoboken, Jersey City and Princeton are plentiful, though you can expect to find great job prospects throughout the state. If you live in an area that’s close enough to New York City for a commute, there are plenty of opportunities to choose from there as well. It is also not uncommon for interior designers to freelance once they have built a portfolio of work to show potential clients

Search Certified Residential Interior Designer Programs

Get information on Certified Residential Interior Designer programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings

FAQs

How do I get professional experience as an interior designer?

Graduate programs, internships or an apprenticeship is a great way to transition smoothly from school to the workplace.

College Listings