Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 27-1027

Set and Exhibit Designers

The published band from $41,750 to $135,410 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Technical Writers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Set and Exhibit Designers: Technical Writers ($90K) , Artists and Related Workers, All Other ($71K) , Public Relations Specialists ($75K) , Fashion Designers ($81K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Set and Exhibit Designers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-1027 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations
  2. 2. Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed
  3. 3. Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams r…
  4. 4. Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements
  5. 5. Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions
  6. 6. Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets
  7. 7. Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or p…
  8. 8. Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as neces…
  9. 9. Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and c…
  10. 10. Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit la…
  11. 11. Select set props, such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs
  12. 12. Design and build scale models of set designs, or miniature sets used in filming backgrounds or special effects

O*NET skills and knowledge for Set and Exhibit Designers

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-1027 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.9
  3. 3. Speaking 3.8
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.8
  5. 5. Operations Analysis 3.8
  6. 6. Time Management 3.8
  7. 7. Coordination 3.5
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.4

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Fine Arts 5.0
  2. 2. Design 4.9
  3. 3. Computers and Electronics 3.8
  4. 4. Building and Construction 3.5
  5. 5. History and Archeology 3.4
  6. 6. English Language 3.2
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$41,750 to $135,410
median $75,240 · ~3.2× spread
$75K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
2,500
Annual openings
10,630
Estimated US jobs
Technical Writers
Highest-pay peer · $90K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Set and Exhibit Designers

1. California $105,030
2. Nebraska $73,980
3. Maryland $80,540
4. Indiana $72,200
5. Georgia $67,210
6. Massachusetts $74,540
7. Minnesota $66,090
8. District of Columbia $76,900
9. New Jersey $76,380
10. Washington $77,230

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Public Relations Specialists $74,750
  2. 2. Fashion Designers $80,960
  3. 3. Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990
  4. 4. Artists and Related Workers, All Other $71,240
  5. 5. Film and Video Editors $75,420
  6. 6. Technical Writers $90,390

The OEWS band for Set and Exhibit Designers runs from $41,750 (10th) to $135,410 (90th), about 3.2× wide, with median $75,240. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $105,030. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Technical Writers at $90,390. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

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Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Set and Exhibit Designers in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in California

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in Nebraska

Second-highest state pay

Technical Writers

Highest-pay peer · $90K

Artists and Related Workers, All Other

Lower-pay peer · $71K

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Highest-Paying Rankings

Top careers nationwide

Compare Side-by-Side

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Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

What do set and exhibit designers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Set and Exhibit Designers. Leading ones include: Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations; Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed; Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams r…; Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for set and exhibit designers? ▼
For SOC 27-1027, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.9), Active Listening (3.9), Speaking (3.8), Critical Thinking (3.8). Knowledge areas emphasize Fine Arts, Design, Computers and Electronics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Set and Exhibit Designers sit next to other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Technical Writers, Artists and Related Workers, All Other, Public Relations Specialists, Fashion Designers. Among those peers, Technical Writers holds the highest published national median ($90,390). Artists and Related Workers, All Other sits lower at $71,240. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Set and Exhibit Designers? ▼
The median salary for Set and Exhibit Designers is $75,240 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS data). This means half of workers in this occupation earn more and half earn less. The full range is $41,750 (10th percentile) to $135,410 (90th percentile). For context beside Technical Writers ($90,390), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Set and Exhibit Designers a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects +2% employment change for Set and Exhibit Designers from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 2,500 projected annual openings. This is about as fast as average relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a set and exhibit designers? ▼
BLS assigns Set and Exhibit Designers to Bachelor's degree for typical education needed for entry. These occupation-level categories are not requirements for every employer or worker.
Which states pay set and exhibit designers the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Set and Exhibit Designers are California ($105,030), Nebraska ($73,980), Maryland ($80,540). The table does not identify why state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

All federal data sources used on this page
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - wage estimates by area + occupation. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - occupation task statements (importance-ranked). onetcenter.org
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) - quarterly employment and wage totals by industry. bls.gov/cew
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for metro/state aggregates. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) - monthly nonfarm payroll baselines. bls.gov/ces
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context. irs.gov/statistics
  • BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - unemployment context for labor-market comparisons. bls.gov/lau