286 Interior Designers Employed in Federal Agencies Made $120 Million Since 2017

Who knew? Fifteen federal agencies employed 286 full-time interior designers who made up to $165,417 annually.

In 2019, the latest year available, “interior designers” were paid $24.3 million in cash compensation alone. The cost of healthcare, perks, and pension benefits would add at least 30 percent – an additional $7.5 million per year.

Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com found that the average salary was $83,185. However, 58 designers made between $100,000 and $165,417.

Since 2016, the number and cost of interior designers in federal agencies grew. In the last year of the Obama administration, there were 270 interior designers employed with payroll costs amounting to $22.1 million. Today, there are 286 employed.

Over the past four years, we estimate $95 million in cash compensation was spent on interior designers within federal agencies. The amount would likely exceed $120 million when adding the cost of benefits.

Veterans Affairs employed the vast majority of interior designers: 189 for $14.3 million in cash compensation. The VA also paid out the largest bonus for an interior designer across all agencies -- $5,500 was awarded to a VA interior designer in the San Diego, California area.

In 2016, the VA employed 171 interior designers, so the agency has continued padding its interior designing payroll in the years since.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve exposed the VA’s taste in decorating and artwork. In 2016, our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com quantified $20 million spent on high-end, luxury artwork coded as “furniture” inside the VA checkbook.

Some of the other federal agencies and the number of interior designers employed:

General Services Administration (37), State Department (23), Transportation (5), Commerce (4), Social Security Administration (3), Energy (3), and Treasury Department (3).

The #WasteOfTheDay is presented by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.