Set and Exhibit Designers in the Richmond Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Set and Exhibit Designers pay in Richmond, VA at a median of $51,840 per year ($24.92/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $75,240, the metro estimate is 31% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 30 set and exhibit designers are employed across the Richmond MSA in SOC 27-1027.

The Richmond pay distribution spans from $39,990 at the 10th percentile to $82,450 at the 90th, a 2.1× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $41,990 and the 75th at $66,180, so half of Richmond-based set and exhibit designers earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Richmond, VA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide VA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.