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Becoming an interior designer in Oregon will give you the chance to make a living using your creative talents.
If you have an eye for detail and also have some scientific problem-solving abilities, this career may be for you.
Beware that you will also need to get along with your clients and co-workers to succeed too, and do not give up.
Article Table of Contents
States Requirements for Interior Designers
In 2019, Architectural Digest says that only three states and two more United States regions require a license to operate under the title of an “Interior Designer.”
These include Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Times change often, however.
Besides, major U.S. Associations, such as the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) all support licensing legislation.
Start by connecting with CIDA and the Council for Interior Design and related National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ).
Both state and national NCIDQ and CIDA chapters have information about certification requirements and NCIDQ exam eligibility.
You need a minimum of 60 hours of classroom training and about two years of full-time experience working with a certified interior designer, for instance.
5 Interior Design Schools in Oregon
Portland Community College
Portland Community College offers Certificate and Associate of Applied Science programs for studying Interior Design.
You may learn how to design residential, commercial, and institutional spaces.
Classes you take involve the mastery of color theory and space planning, and texturing, lighting or shading.
If you want to include furniture selection and placement in the list of interior design services you provide, you will have the opportunity to learn about that as well.
Certification programs may take less than one year, and the associate programs may take about two years to complete.
The Art Institute
If you cannot find a local school that meets your interior design specialization needs, you could try for online education at The Art Institute.
This learning center has several campuses, including two in Florida and four in Texas.
Virginia and Georgia also have a campus.
Training at this school will prepare you for either a residential or commercial design interior design career.
You may have the chance to earn either a Bachelor’s Degree or a Master’s Degree in Art with a concentration in Interior Design.
Oregon State University
You may have the chance to earn either a Bachelor of Art or a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design, Architecture, or a related major at Oregon State University.
Use your training to work alongside architects, space planners, and decorators.
You will learn not only the visual aspects of creativity that infuse different colors, textures, styles or lighting, and other interior design attributes, but you will learn computerized drafting.
Come up with new interior designs using 2D or 3D modeling software or draft room plans by hand.
Academic advisors can help you customize your course load according to your personal objectives.
Portland State University
Portland State University has a new “Art + Design Center” in the works.
That should excite some interior design or architect majors.
They have an undergraduate architecture program that you could combine with some art history and techniques classes to fulfill all training requirements to prepare you for an Interior Designer or Architect career.
Learn a variety of recent and classic styles, such as Victorian or contemporary and minimalist, that stand the test of time.
You will probably enroll in some 2D and 3D drafting and spatial planning classes, too.
Full Sail University
Full Sail University offers Digital Arts & Design Bachelor’s degree courses related to interior design.
For instance, you would sign up for the color theory class they offer and maybe join in on 3D computerized drawing and modeling classes.
Learn all about textures and shading, room staging and lighting, and more.
If you have already taken an animation course at this school, some of those 3D staging classes may also apply to an interior design career – an easy enough transition.
You would attend these classes online, by the way, unless you live in Florida.
Interior Design Schools in Oregon – Summary Table
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Portland Community College | 705 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217 |
| The Art Institute | 1501 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 100 Miami, FL 33132-1418 |
| Oregon State University | 1500 SW Jefferson Way Corvallis, OR 97331 |
| Portland State University | 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 |
| Full Sail University | 3300 University Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32792 |
Salary
In Oregon, you may earn an average annual salary of $48,574 after at least a couple of years of schooling if you also had passed your NCIDQ exam.
You can keep updating your skills to earn more.
Starting salaries as an assistant before you complete your licensing requirements may average about $30,000-$40,000 per year.
Look for jobs in multiple locations including Bend, Coos Bay, Portland, Beaverton, Washington County, and more.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Portland | $50,631 |
| Eugene | $47,560 |
| Salem | $48,022 |
| Gresham | $50,566 |
| Beaverton | $50,631 |
| Hillsboro | $50,469 |
| Medford | $46,535 |
| Springfield | $47,453 |
| Bend | $47,019 |
| Corvallis | $47,331 |
Regional Salary in Oregon
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bend-Redmond, OR | 40 | $68,050 | $32.71 | $91,330 | $40,170 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 560 | $71,500 | $34.38 | $100,390 | $47,880 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have a degree to become an interior designer in Oregon?
No, you do not need to have a degree in interior design to become an interior designer in Oregon.
However, you will improve your chances of sustaining your career after you complete an accredited Interior Design program.
Does the state of Oregon require a license to be an interior designer?
As of now, they may not.
However, you still must prove that you can adhere to building safety codes and not jeopardize anyone’s health when creating ideal interior spaces.
This comes with the licensing that NCIDQ and related associations provide.
Who would I work with as an interior designer?
You will coordinate tasks with architects, construction contractors, and fellow peers.
If still in training, you may end up decorating more than designing, however.
Once certified, you will also work with decorators, telling them how to set up each space in a home, business, institution, or recreational facility.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Certified Interior Designer
Interior Design Schools by State