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Creative people sometimes struggle with how to translate their talents into a paying career.
Becoming an interior designer provides you with an option to make a decent living in Maine.
Article Table of Contents
- 1 Maine Requirements for Interior Designers
- 2 5 Interior Design Schools in Maine
- 3 Additional Learning Information
- 4 Salary
- 5 Frequently Asked Questions
- 5.1 Does an interior decorator perform the same duties as an interior designer?
- 5.2 Do I need a college degree to be an interior designer in Maine?
- 5.3 Can I choose an interior design specialty?
- 5.4 What authority do I have as an interior designer?
- 5.5 Is an interior designer the same thing as an architect?
Maine Requirements for Interior Designers
Maine does have stricter interior designer requirements than some other states.
In this location, you must have a degree in interior design accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ).
Check with your instructors for updated information, but you might have to pay a first-time license application fee of $50 and $70 per year for the license.
You may also need to pay a $21.00 background check fee.
However, you need to take the CIDQ (NCIDQ) exam and pass it before you apply for your license the first time.
Also, note that you do need two years of work experience before receiving your interior designer qualification.
Therefore, you can at least work under the guidance of a certified interior designer but cannot officially call yourself one until you receive your license.
5 Interior Design Schools in Maine
When looking for the right interior design program, you first want to check with both CIDA and CIDQ for training recommendations.
Then, consult the Academic Advising department of the school you plan to attend to ensure you register for relevant courses.
Accredited art, engineering, and architecture classes often make up an interior design degree.
The Interior Design Institute
This online school does have several accreditations attributed to it.
Just confirm that it meets state requirements to achieve your license.
If your classes contain the information required to pass your CIDQ exam, you should not have a problem completing this training.
If anything, it will at least help you while acquiring practical interior design work experience.
It does cover a comprehensive assortment of color, display, spatial planning, and materials or texture arrangement.
Maine College of Art & Design
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that will help you understand the nuances of color, textures, and materials when combined with one another is offered here.
What is more, you will gain insight on how to maximize residential, recreational, and commercial spaces.
As you unleash your artistic potential, you will also take courses that broaden your art history knowledge, which provides you with cultural design references.
The University of Southern Maine
This campus provides a variety of Arts degree emphases, including the recommended BA in Art with a Concentration in Art and Entrepreneurial Studies.
Again, it is wise to make sure the courses you take provide the information you need to pass the CIDQ exam.
University of Maine (Augusta)
The University of Maine at Augusta Campus provides the Bachelor of Architecture and additional art degree programs.
You also may have the opportunity to enroll in interior design classes for non-majors.
Learn concepts such as color theory, spatial planning, and furnishing placement and combine that with history and culture from classic and contemporary eras.
Suffolk University
It might require relocation, but it would provide you the opportunity to achieve a degree specific to interior design.
This Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design may qualify you for the licensing required by the state of Maine.
It also can provide you with all you need for entering into interior designing at the entry-level while you gain your practical, on-the-job experience.
Earning a degree here will benefit you regardless of where you choose to practice your profession.
Interior Design Schools in Maine – Summary Table
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| The Interior Design Institute | 75 Broadway Suite 202 San Francisco, CA 94111 |
| Maine College of Art & Design | 522 Congress St. Portland, ME 04101 |
| The University of Southern Maine | PO Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104 |
| University of Maine (Augusta) | 46 University Drive Augusta, Maine 04330-9488 |
| Suffolk University | 73 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02108 |
Additional Learning Information
When seeking the right interior design program, make sure it offers the fundamental requisite: Computer-aided drawing (CAD).
This has become a standard for most people for creating perfect indoor settings in all types of private and public spaces.
Additional 2D and 3D software training will help you arrange items in a room and make sure they fit to scale in real life.
Salary
You will earn an average interior designer annual salary of $47,013 as of 2022.
You might find the most jobs in Bangor, but you may also want to explore opportunities in Poland, Biddeford, Portland, and South Portland or Augusta.
Do not limit yourself to these locations of pursuing your home, commercial or recreational interior designing passions though.
Check out other cities in Maine for opportunities too.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Portland | $47,662 |
| Lewiston | $47,174 |
| Bangor | $44,569 |
| South Portland | $47,662 |
| Auburn | $47,174 |
| Brunswick | $47,240 |
| Biddeford | $47,435 |
| Sanford | $48,855 |
| Augusta | $45,628 |
| Scarborough | $47,662 |
Regional Salary in Maine
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 100 | $55,410 | $26.64 | $74,080 | $36,550 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an interior decorator perform the same duties as an interior designer?
No, an interior decorator focuses primarily on visuals.
An interior designer will have a broadened perspective on how to plan room displays and have advanced space maximization techniques.
Do I need a college degree to be an interior designer in Maine?
Yes, but you will also need two years of work experience before you can take the CIDQ.
Therefore, you can at least perform interior design and decoration duties under the supervision of a certified Maine interior designer.
Can I choose an interior design specialty?
You can if you want.
For instance, some interior designs might commit to just working on kitchens and bathrooms, and others might concentrate on a certain era, such as Classic, Victorian, Modern or Contemporary.
Others might focus solely on providing atmospheric lighting or concentrate on fabricating furniture for placement in specific room shapes.
You can help people decide what color combinations, furniture displays, texture, and materials, or flooring, walls, and ceiling selections will make a space perfect.
In addition, you will have the authorization to advise customers on wall and window treatments and offer them inspiration based on their preferences and safety or security needs.
Is an interior designer the same thing as an architect?
An interior designer may have some of the same training as an architect, but an interior designer focuses on how furniture and décor fit in a space.
An architect usually calculates measurements for the interior building plan as a whole instead of specific colors, textures, and styles.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Certified Interior Designer
Interior Design Schools by State