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Set & Exhibit Designer

$66,280
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Design and plan sets and exhibits for theater, film, television, and museums.

Where you work

Theaters, studios, museums, and workshops

The hours

Project-based, long hours near openings

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$66,280
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~2,500
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
31,300
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree + portfolio.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

What it takes

Design draftingModel buildingSpatial planningCollaboration

The honest take

Designs the physical spaces for stage, film, and museum exhibits, much of it freelance and project-based.

Standard Occupational Classification 27-1027. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.