A new industry survey charts how designers charge, how much they pay their teams and how they compete for talent in a challenging market. How does your firm stack up?

Transparency has always been a struggle for the design industry. From how to charge to what to pay their teams, designers have long found hard facts and figures challenging to come by. Without a point of reference, they are largely left to their own devices, figuring out what works through costly and time-consuming rounds of trial and error. Even if you ask around in your peer group, it can be hard to know how your company really stacks up in the wider market. But what if you could look into the books of 900 other firms, then synthesize that info into a play-book of best practices? A group of business consultants did just that.

Last year, Gail Doby and Erin Weir, co-founders of design-business coaching and consulting firm Pearl Collective, partnered with Ken Roberts of industry recruitment firm Interior Talent. Together they surveyed hundreds of interior design firm owners nationwide to compile the 2022 Interior Designers Survey on Fees, Salaries and Competing for Talent. The report’s results shed light on both where firms are succeeding and where there’s room for improvement and growth. For designers, the findings can also serve as a measuring stick—some very welcome real-time feedback on how their firm compares with those of their cohorts.