Interior Designer.
Birmingham.
$53,000
median salary, 16% below the national average
$42,000 to $68,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an Interior Designer offer in Birmingham, AL, here is the reality: $42,000 to $68,000, with $53,000 as the midpoint. 16% below the national average. Specialization in commercial, hospitality, or healthcare interiors drives higher pay than residential work. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Interior Designer in Birmingham, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $62,000 for Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) in the Birmingham, AL metropolitan area, based on 240 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$32,560
25th percentile
$44,160
Median
$62,000
75th percentile
$76,540
90th percentile
$103,460
Workers surveyed
240
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Interior Designers (SOC 27-1025) rather than Interior Designer specifically. The Birmingham range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 27-1025Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $48,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$34,000
to $42,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$45,000
to $56,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$58,000
to $69,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$66,000
to $82,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $16,000 to the total package.
Base
$53,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $69,000
How Birmingham compares.
Birmingham, AL
$53,000
Cost of living: 16% below average
National Average
$63,000
Birmingham is $10,000 below
Interior Designer salary by city.
Salary by role in Birmingham.
What you should know.
The Interior Designer landscape in Birmingham is not what most salary sites will tell you. Birmingham is Alabama's largest metro, anchored by a major medical center, banking, and a growing innovation district. UAB is one of the state's largest employers and a driver of biomedical research jobs. The extremely low cost of living makes Birmingham a strong value for professionals in healthcare and finance. Specialization in commercial, hospitality, or healthcare interiors drives higher pay than residential work. Designers with NCIDQ certification, proficiency in Revit and 3D visualization, and a portfolio of large-scale projects earn at the top of the range in major metros.
Junior Interior Designers start at $46,000 to $54,000. Mid-level designers managing client relationships and full projects earn $58,000 to $72,000. Senior Designers and Design Directors reach $75,000 to $95,000, with firm principals and celebrity designers earning well above $120,000. In Birmingham, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 16% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Self-employed interior designers often earn more through markup on furnishings and materials, adding 20 to 35% to effective income. Salaried roles may include bonuses of 5 to 10% and trade account access for personal projects. And on the tax side: alabama's top state income tax rate is 5%. Birmingham has no city income tax. The low rate combined with very affordable housing creates excellent take home pay ratios. When someone quotes you $53,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage UAB and the medical corridor when negotiating. Healthcare and biotech roles command nationally competitive salaries even in this low cost market. The range for Interior Designers in Birmingham runs from $42,000 to $68,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An Electrician in Birmingham earns $52,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Birmingham is CTO at $249,000
Common questions.
Interior Designer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Birmingham.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Interior Designers in Birmingham.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Interior Designer Salary in Birmingham, AL." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/interior-designer/birmingham
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