Set and Exhibit Designers

The median annual wage for Set and Exhibit Designers is $59,490, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $67,170, and an estimated 10,090 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +2.3% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -13.1% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will grow 2.3% between 2024 and 2034.

Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment

How the national median wage for Set and Exhibit Designers has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.

National median wage trend for Set and Exhibit Designers, nominal and inflation-adjusted, BLS OEWS.
Year	Median (nominal)	In 2023 $ (real)	Employment
2023	$59,490	$59,490	10,090
2022	$59,990	$62,459	9,490
2021	$54,860	$61,689	6,850
2020	$58,180	$68,496	10,980

Nominal change

+2.3%

Inflation (CPI)

+17.7%

Real change

-13.1%

Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)

The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).

Projected Growth

+2.3%

About average

Employment 2024

31,300

Projected 2034

32,000

Annual Openings

2,500

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.

Highest-Paying Areas (2023)

Where Set and Exhibit Designers earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $59,490. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.

Highest-paying areas for Set and Exhibit Designers, BLS OEWS 2023.
Area	Median Annual	vs National	Employment
New Jersey	$84,590	+42.2%	340
California	$81,740	+37.4%	2,930
Washington	$77,880	+30.9%	220
Maryland	$74,740	+25.6%	120
Puerto Rico	$65,020	+9.3%	130
Minnesota	$64,980	+9.2%	150
Georgia	$63,610	+6.9%	400
District of Columbia	$59,730	+0.4%	240
Oregon	$59,580	+0.2%	50
New York	$59,350	-0.2%	1,510

Full wages-by-state breakdown →

Wage Distribution (National, 2023)

10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.

10th Pct

$32,240

25th Pct

$42,980

Median

$59,490

75th Pct

$82,620

90th Pct

$113,740

H-1B Employer Filings

Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.

The average H-1B median wage for this occupation is $56,159 — 5.6% below the OEWS national median of $59,490. H-1B certified wages trail the broader market median for this role.

H-1B employer filings for Set and Exhibit Designers, DOL LCA data.
Employer	State	Filings	Median Wage
Thinkwell Group LLC	FL	2	$50,157
JAPAN SOCIETY, INC.	NY	1	$63,200
THE SCENIC ROUTE, INC.	CA	1	$55,120

Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.

Related Occupations in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media

Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.

Art Directors $106,500 Special Effects Artists and Animators $99,060 Producers and Directors $82,510 Technical Writers $80,050 Fashion Designers $79,290 Commercial and Industrial Designers $76,250 Editors $75,020 Artists and Related Workers, All Other $74,750

All Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media occupations →

Wages by State Compare with another occupation All H-1B Employers