27 Series · SOC 27-1027
Set and Exhibit Designers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $75,240
- Median / year
- $135,410
- Top 10% earn
- +2.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 10,630
- US workers
Set and Exhibit Designers earn a median of $75,240 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $75,240, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $41,750 (10th percentile) to $135,410 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 10,630 US workers. California pays the most ($105,030), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Set and Exhibit Designers earn a median of $75,240, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 66% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #10 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 2.3% by 2033.
- $75,240
- Median annual wage
- Top 34%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #10 of 36
- in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- 3.2×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: California at $105,030. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Set and Exhibit Designers (SOC 27-1027) pays a national median of $75,240 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $41,750 at the 10th percentile to $135,410 at the 90th, with a mean of $83,160 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 10,630 Americans work in this occupation across 27 reporting states and 39 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,500 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. California pays the highest state median at $105,030, which is +40% above the national figure. The top metro is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $109,120 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$75,240
per year
Median Hourly
$36.17/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$83,160
average
Employment
10,630
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Set and Exhibit Designers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$75,240 Top 34% higher than 66% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 27-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Set and Exhibit Designers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 27-series occupations with growth data, Set and Exhibit Designers sits on the slower-growing side at +2.3% growth and $75,240 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+2.3%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
2,500
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Set and Exhibit Designers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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 relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.
- ▸ Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
- ▸ Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
- ▸ Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets.
- ▸ Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
- ▸ Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary.
- ▸ Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and camera angles.
- ▸ Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$41,750
25th Percentile
$52,830
Median
$75,240
75th Percentile
$104,030
90th Percentile
$135,410
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 27 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,030 | +40% above national |
| 2 | Maryland | $80,540 | +7% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $77,230 | +3% above national |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $76,900 | +2% above national |
| 5 | New Jersey | $76,380 | +2% above national |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $74,540 | 1% below national |
| 7 | Nebraska | $73,980 | 2% below national |
| 8 | Indiana | $72,200 | 4% below national |
| 9 | Georgia | $67,210 | 11% below national |
| 10 | Minnesota | $66,090 | 12% below national |
| 11 | Oregon | $62,770 | 17% below national |
| 12 | Florida | $60,750 | 19% below national |
| 13 | Connecticut | $60,680 | 19% below national |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $59,670 | 21% below national |
| 15 | Virginia | $58,650 | 22% below national |
| 16 | Texas | $56,930 | 24% below national |
| 17 | Ohio | $54,560 | 27% below national |
| 18 | Kentucky | $53,260 | 29% below national |
| 19 | Missouri | $51,610 | 31% below national |
| 20 | Michigan | $50,910 | 32% below national |
| 21 | Nevada | $50,860 | 32% below national |
| 22 | Iowa | $50,640 | 33% below national |
| 23 | North Carolina | $49,410 | 34% below national |
| 24 | Arizona | $46,280 | 38% below national |
| 25 | Utah | $44,540 | 41% below national |
| 26 | Arkansas | $38,700 | 49% below national |
| 27 | Puerto Rico | $34,260 | 54% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 39 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $109,120 | +45% above national |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $106,880 | +42% above national |
| 3 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $92,020 | +22% above national |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $86,880 | +15% above national |
| 5 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $83,000 | +10% above national |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82,960 | +10% above national |
| 7 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $80,960 | +8% above national |
| 8 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $80,280 | +7% above national |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,230 | +3% above national |
| 10 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $76,900 | +2% above national |
| 11 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $76,350 | +1% above national |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $74,710 | 1% below national |
| 13 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $72,960 | 3% below national |
| 14 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $69,700 | 7% below national |
| 15 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $65,960 | 12% below national |
| 16 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $63,920 | 15% below national |
| 17 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $62,770 | 17% below national |
| 18 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $62,420 | 17% below national |
| 19 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $61,370 | 18% below national |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $59,670 | 21% below national |
| 21 | Columbus, OH | $59,550 | 21% below national |
| 22 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $59,440 | 21% below national |
| 23 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $58,100 | 23% below national |
| 24 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $57,740 | 23% below national |
| 25 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $56,930 | 24% below national |
| 26 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $55,730 | 26% below national |
| 27 | Cleveland, OH | $54,070 | 28% below national |
| 28 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $53,310 | 29% below national |
| 29 | Ann Arbor, MI | $52,210 | 31% below national |
| 30 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $52,130 | 31% below national |
| 31 | Richmond, VA | $51,840 | 31% below national |
| 32 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $50,860 | 32% below national |
| 33 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $50,640 | 33% below national |
| 34 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $48,360 | 36% below national |
| 35 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $46,280 | 38% below national |
| 36 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $45,640 | 39% below national |
| 37 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $44,540 | 41% below national |
| 38 | Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $37,780 | 50% below national |
| 39 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $36,030 | 52% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 27 (arts design entertainment sports and media) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with this data
How to use Set and Exhibit Designers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $104,030/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: California leads at $105,030/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.