Interior Designers pay range in Milwaukee
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,310 a year or less, while the top 10% make $102,120 or more. The middle half of interior designers in Milwaukee earn between $50,960 and $80,860.
- $36K10th
- $51K25th
- $65KMedian
- $81K75th
- $102K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $75,700 | $6,308 | $36.39 |
| Median | $64,550 | $5,379 | $31.03 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $50,960 | $4,247 | $24.50 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,860 | $6,738 | $38.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Interior Designers pay in Milwaukee vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.
Interior designers in Milwaukee earn 8% more than the Wisconsin average ($70,280) and about the same as the U.S. average ($74,540). At the median the gap is -4% against the U.S. median of $67,190.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | $75,700 | $64,550 | $36,310 | $102,120 | 420 |
| Wisconsin | $70,280 | $62,740 | $35,740 | $99,940 | 1,200 |
| United States | $74,540 | $67,190 | $41,420 | $114,140 | 71,500 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Interior Designers salary after taxes in Milwaukee
On the average salary of $75,700, a single filer in Milwaukee takes home about $59,100 a year, or $4,925 a month and $2,273 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Milwaukee a good place for interior designers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Milwaukee area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.9), so the average $75,700 buys what about $78,092 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Milwaukee ($51,160). A typical home costs $390,238, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Interior Designers salary in other Wisconsin cities
Milwaukee ranks 1st of 6 Wisconsin metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Milwaukee$75,700
- Madison$71,650
- Green Bay$71,550
- Appleton$65,890
- La Crosse$64,280
- Eau Claire$54,910
Highest-paying cities for interior designers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($100,980).
- San Jose, CA$100,980
- San Francisco, CA$99,350
- Las Vegas, NV$92,760
- Denver, CO$89,330
- Los Angeles, CA$88,370
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Interior Designers salary in Milwaukee: questions
How much do interior designers make an hour in Milwaukee?
$36.39 an hour on average, and $31.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level interior designers salary in Milwaukee?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,310 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,960, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the interior designers take-home pay in Milwaukee?
About $59,100 a year ($4,925 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $75,700.
Do interior designers earn more in Milwaukee than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($74,540).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-1025; area Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (33340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 9.4%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.12, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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