Creative & Media
Set and Exhibit Designers
Design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.
Median salary
$66,280
Typical range
$36k – $129k
Job outlook
+2% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Set and Exhibit Designers
Education
Typical entry: Master's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Set and Exhibit Designers Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Set and Exhibit Designers
Entry / Junior
$35,990
~2 yrs to advance
Set and Exhibit Designers
Established
$66,280
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Set and Exhibit Designers
Senior
$97,850
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Creative & Media
Explore all- University of Southern California12% admit · $86,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
- Northwestern University7% admit · $95,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.