Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Interior Designer Salary in New York, NY

Interior Designers in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $76,580 a year — 14% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $59,166 take-home, or $4,930 a month.

Median salary
$76,580
$36.82 per hour
Typical range
$41,220 – $125,990
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in New York, NY
5,460
1.25× national concentration
▼0.4%
Pay trend: The median for interior designers in New York, NY fell from $76,880 (May 2024) to $76,580 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 2.8%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median interior designer salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Interior Designer in New York, NY
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$59,166
per year · effective tax rate 22.7%
$4,930Monthly
$2,465Twice a month
$2,276Every 2 weeks
$28.45Hourly
  • Federal income tax$8,018
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,748
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,110
  • New York income tax$3,538
  • Take-home pay$59,166

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.40% state

Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $2,533 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $56,632 ($4,719 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.

The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Interior Designer pay by experience in New York, NY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$41,220$19.82$33,671$2,806
25th percentile$49,750$23.92$40,065$3,339
Median (50th)$76,580$36.82$59,166$4,930
75th percentile$96,400$46.35$72,000$6,000
90th percentile (top earners)$125,990$60.57$90,987$7,582

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $76,580 buys in New York, NY

Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median interior designer's $59,166 take-home pay has the buying power of $52,562 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,378
48% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,697
55% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$2,552
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

New York, NY has 1.3× the national concentration of interior designer jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for interior designers, adjusted for cost of living

New York, NY ranks #4 of 5 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Atlanta, GA $72,490$56,687$56,654
2Los Angeles, CA $80,000$60,860$53,590
3Dallas, TX $65,160$54,536$52,901
4New York, NY $76,580$59,166$52,562
5Miami, FL $60,860$51,081$44,747

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 5 metros →

About the job: interior designers

Plan, design, and furnish the internal space of rooms or buildings. Design interior environments or create physical layouts that are practical, aesthetic, and conducive to the intended purposes. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+2.7% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a interior designer make in New York, NY?

The median interior designer salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area is $76,580 a year, or about $36.82 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $49,750 and $96,400.

What is a interior designer’s take-home pay in New York, NY?

On the median $76,580 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $59,166 a year ($4,930 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,538 in New York taxes in 2026.

Is New York, NY a good place to work as a interior designer?

Pay here is 14% above the national median of $67,190. Local prices are 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $52,562 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #4 of 5 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a interior designer afford rent in New York, NY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 48% of a median interior designer’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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