Occupation overview

Set and Exhibit Designers Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for set and exhibit designers is $75,240, or $36.17 per hour. About 10,630 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $105,030 in California to $38,700 in Arkansas.

Median annual
$75,240
Median hourly
$36.17
Entry level (P10)
$41,750
Top 10% (P90)
$135,410
Employment
10,630
States covered
26

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$41,750
$52,830
$75,240
$104,030
$41,750$75,240$135,410
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $75,240.

Salary by state

All 26 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1California$105,030$50.492,6902.16
2Maryland$80,540$38.724202.20
3Washington$77,230$37.131700.69
4District of Columbia$76,900$36.971903.93
5New Jersey$76,380$36.722200.74
6Massachusetts$74,540$35.842300.91
7Nebraska$73,980$35.57500.68
8Indiana$72,200$34.711100.51
9Georgia$67,210$32.313100.92
10Minnesota$66,090$31.771500.73
11Oregon$62,770$30.182802.06
12Florida$60,750$29.217401.09
13Connecticut$60,680$29.18700.56
14Pennsylvania$59,670$28.691200.29
15Virginia$58,650$28.201200.43
16Texas$56,930$27.372100.21
17Ohio$54,560$26.232900.77
18Kentucky$53,260$25.61400.32
19Missouri$51,610$24.812901.46
20Michigan$50,910$24.481400.47
21Nevada$50,860$24.451801.74
22Iowa$50,640$24.35600.61
23North Carolina$49,410$23.76——
24Arizona$46,280$22.25700.30
25Utah$44,540$21.423402.84
26Arkansas$38,700$18.61500.53

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do set and exhibit designers make?

The median annual wage for set and exhibit designers in the United States is $75,240, or $36.17 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $41,750, and the top 10% earn $135,410.

How many set and exhibit designers are employed in the U.S.?

About 10,630 people work as set and exhibit designers nationwide.

Which state pays set and exhibit designers the most?

California pays the most at a median of $105,030, followed by Maryland ($80,540) and Washington ($77,230).

Which state pays set and exhibit designers the least?

Arkansas has the lowest median at $38,700.

Where are set and exhibit designers jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is District of Columbia at 3.93×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes