Design Intern Salary in the United States

How much does a Design Intern make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Design Intern in the United States is $61,194 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

However, a Design Intern's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,556
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,270 to $66,618
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $46,056
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View as table View as graph 25% $53,270 10% $46,056 90% $71,556 75% $66,618 $61,194 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Design Intern Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $66,618 $5,551 $1,281 $32
Average $61,194 $5,100 $1,177 $29
25th Percentile $53,270 $4,439 $1,024 $26
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Key Factors That Influence Design Intern Salaries

A Design Intern's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Design Intern Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Design Intern's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $54,625
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $61,744
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $71,113
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $82,064
  • Expert (over 8 years): $95,068
Levels Salary
Interior ... Level Design Intern$54,625
Design In... Level Design Intern$61,744
Interior ... Level Design Intern$71,113
Interior ... Level Design Intern$82,064
Interior ... Level Design Intern$95,068
$54,625 0 yr
$61,744 < 2 yrs
$71,113 2-4 yrs
$82,064 5-8 yrs
$95,068 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Design Intern Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Design Interns. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $67,754.
  • California: $67,497.
  • Massachusetts: $66,598.

Top Paying Cities for Design Interns

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $77,184
  • San Francisco: $76,339
  • Oakland: $74,730

What Skills Can Increase a Design Intern's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Presentation (Mentioned in 5.32% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
  • Customer Satisfaction (Mentioned in 2.53% Job Postings): Customer satisfaction (often abbreviated as CSAT, more correctly CSat) is a term frequently used in marketing. It is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as "the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals." The Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) endorses the definitions, purposes, and constructs of classes of measures that appear in Marketing Metrics as part of its ongoing Common Language in Marketing Project. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 71 percent responded that they found a customer satisfaction metric very useful in managing and monitoring their businesses. It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and is often part of a Balanced Scorecard. In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of business strategy.
  • PowerPoint (Mentioned in 1.55% Job Postings): A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Presentation 5.32%
Customer Satisfaction 2.53%
PowerPoint 1.55%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Design Intern's salary.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Digital Design: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Commitment
$73,433
20%
Flexibility
$67,314
10%
Digital Design
$66,702
9%
Leadership
$66,090
8%
Business Model
$65,478
7%
Authenticity
$64,254
5%
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How Education impacts a Design Intern's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Design Interns enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Design Intern with a Bachelor's Degree is between $56,987 and $63,250).

Design Intern Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Design Intern
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.2%
High School 1.2%
Associates 7.1%
Bachelors 79.6%
Masters 12.0%
Doctorate 0.0%
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Design Intern Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Design Intern's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Design Intern

Salaries for a Design Intern can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $64,603 in 2023 to around $63,334 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Design Intern salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Design Intern Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$64,603
2024
$64,143
2025
$63,334
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $64,603
2024 $64,143
2025 $63,334
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Design Intern

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Design Intern

Here are companies hiring for Design Intern and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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