Set & Exhibit Designer
Arts & Communication
Design the physical worlds of theater productions, museums and trade shows — from sketch to built space.
Why it matters here: D.C.'s theater scene and Smithsonian museums hire designers for productions and exhibitions.
Labor Market — DMV Region
Sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS releases (DMV metro and nationwide) plus MD, VA, and D.C. workforce agencies.
Local cost of living is why DMV pay often differs from the national median.
- DMV & state figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS wage & employment estimates and Employment Projections, with OEWS area pay relatives for the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro, Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia · View source
- Occupation profiles & skills: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · onetonline.org
All salary figures are published estimates for groups of workers, not offers or guarantees for any individual role.
Education & Career Pathways
Multiple ways to get here — pick the one that fits your life.
Career Progression
How you can grow — with expected salary at each step.
- Entry-level Set & Exhibit DesignerLearning the role, supervised work, building core skills.$43,600
- Set & Exhibit Designer (experienced)Independent work, mentoring newer team members.$62,630
- Senior / Lead Set & Exhibit DesignerOwning projects, specialization, higher responsibility.$87,200
- Manager or specialist trackSupervising a team or moving into a high-demand specialty.$104,640
Skills Required
What you'll actually do — and how you'll be judged.
Design studio plus workshop and venue build-outs
Where you work
Design studios, scene shops, theaters and museum galleries.
Hours and schedule
Project-based with intense crunch before openings and installations.
Pace and pressure
Cycles between creative design phases and hands-on build deadlines.
Who you work with
Directors, curators, carpenters, painters and lighting staff.
Physical demands
Model building, painting and time on ladders during installs.
What people wear
Studio casual; work clothes on build days.
Remote reality
Design work can be remote; builds and installs are on site.
Workplace culture: what's normal here
- Opening night deadlines are immovable.
- Design reviews are collaborative and critique-heavy.
- Freelance and staff roles often mix across a career.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Work Environment, with regional detail for the DMV.
Official data behind this career
Federal statistics for DMV Region, translated into plain language.
Data unavailable for this category.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metro area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP03, DP02, DP05)
- The DMV functions as one labor market: workers routinely cross state lines to get to work.
- The largest employment destinations are D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County.
Top places these workers go to work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA regional GDP and personal income, most recent published year
Private-sector payroll data from ADP. It is a supplemental near-real-time indicator and does not replace BLS government employment statistics.
Source: ADP National Employment Report — Most recent monthly ADP National Employment Report
- 1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH, OEWS, Employment Projections, CES) — Primary source for occupation wages, outlook, projected openings, education and training.
- 2U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey — Primary source for income, educational attainment, labor force and demographic context by place.
- 3Census LEHD (LODES / OnTheMap) — Primary source for where workers live versus where they work, and local workforce flows.
- 4U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Primary source for regional GDP, industry contribution, compensation and personal income.
- 5ADP National Employment Report — Supplemental near-real-time private-sector employment and pay indicator. Not a replacement for BLS.
Figures describe groups of workers, not any one person. Where an official figure is not published for a category, this page says “Data unavailable for this category.” rather than estimating.
Related Careers
Explore similar occupations with overlapping skills.
Create visual identity, layouts, and graphics that communicate an idea.
Plan, shoot, and edit video from first idea to final cut.
Connect people with resources and advocate through hard situations.
Report, verify, and tell stories that inform your community.