Setting The Pace pix

The new year rings in steady growth for the 2006 top 100 Interior Design Giants. This group earned a grand total of $1,751,147,122—up 9 percent from the previous study period. After 2004's leap from 1.1 to 10.2 percent growth, this past year's little dip in the growth rate only means that the gains are settling down to a healthy, regular pace.

Overall, the top 100 Giants' firms employed 9,165 designers, staffing up by an impressive 10.2 percent. That's a sure sign that these industry leaders—and, we hope, all design firms—are breathing easier than they have been since the beginning of the millennium.

On average, top 100 Giants achieved $225,481 in earnings per design professional, with the highest earning $967,214 for the year. When asked about pay for individuals, firms reported that the average annual salary for principals and partners was $158,896; the highest was $750,000, the lowest was $75,000. Project managers, directors, and job captains were paid an average $86,178 a year, with the highest-paid among them making $175,000 and the lowest-paid $51,000. Designers' average salary was $61,494, with a high of $100,000 and a low of $40,000. Other interior design employees came in at $45,171 on average, the range being $90,000 to $26,000.

Most of the top 100 Giants report lavishing attention and enhanced services on clients. However, a few firms have adopted a kind of tough-love policy, adhering strictly to scope-of-work agreements and training the staff about when it's necessary to require change orders.

Total space installed by the top 100 Giants was 581,454,354 square feet, up 12.8 percent from the previous year. The monetary value of these installations totaled $44,222,971,959, a sizable increase of 13.99 percent.

Spending on furnishings, fixtures, and construction increased, rising by $5,427,527,165, contrasted with increases of $3,934,138,324 in 2004 and $2,239,807,976 in 2003. Eco-friendly purchases represented 4.1 percent of reported total spending. All but five Giants reported specifying green products to the tune of $1,809,856,000, up $56,723,320 from the previous year—one firm even reported that every product specified last year was green. Many firms believe that sustainable design can benefit the designer and the client.

Being international is also a good thing. The top 100 Giants reported that foreign jobs accounted for 9.9 percent of all projects, up slightly from the previous year and up a surprising 25 percent from pre-2001 figures. The U.K. led, followed by China, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, France, and Japan. One firm claims to have worked "on every continent but Antarctica."