BLS metro-level wage data places Set and Exhibit Designers pay in Memphis, TN-MS-AR at a median of $69,700 per year ($33.51/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $75,240, Memphis pays 7% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 40 set and exhibit designerss are employed across the Memphis MSA in SOC 27-1027.

The Memphis pay distribution spans from $39,070 at the 10th percentile to $69,700 at the 90th — a 1.8× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $43,800 and the 75th at $69,700, so half of Memphis-based set and exhibit designerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Memphis, TN-MS-AR covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide TN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.