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Set and Exhibit Designer

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What is a Set and Exhibit Designer?

Example of Set & Exhibit Designer Job Design special exhibits and movie, television, and theater sets. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.

Life As a Set & Exhibit Designer

  • Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
  • Select set props such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs.
  • Estimate set- or exhibit-related costs including materials, construction, and rental of props or locations.
  • Arrange for outside contractors to construct exhibit structures.
  • Design and build scale models of set designs, or miniature sets used in filming backgrounds or special effects.
  • Incorporate security systems into exhibit layouts.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Set & Exhibit Designer?

Set and Exhibit Designers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • Exhibit Specialist
  • Display Designer
  • Exhibit Preparator
  • Event Decorator and Designer
  • Art Coordinator

Job Demand for Set and Exhibit Designers

In the United States, there were 14,600 jobs for Set and Exhibit Designer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,500 new jobs for Set and Exhibit Designer by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,600 positions for Set & Exhibit Designer per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Set & Exhibit Designer are Georgia, Utah, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in South Carolina, Nebraska, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Set and Exhibit Designers Salary

The typical yearly salary for Set and Exhibit Designers is somewhere between $29,810 and $103,480.

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Set and Exhibit Designers who work in District of Columbia, New York, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Set and Exhibit Designers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $50,260
Arizona $39,800
California $67,520
Colorado $46,540
Connecticut $55,290
District of Columbia $73,600
Florida $55,890
Georgia $56,040
Hawaii $69,860
Illinois $51,370
Indiana $45,550
Iowa $47,490
Kansas $41,110
Kentucky $52,150
Louisiana $40,990
Maryland $55,330
Massachusetts $58,870
Michigan $50,480
Minnesota $52,880
Missouri $44,760
Nebraska $60,430
Nevada $38,050
New Jersey $57,370
New Mexico $50,960
New York $76,650
North Carolina $55,970
Ohio $52,830
Oklahoma $45,470
Oregon $64,140
Pennsylvania $47,050
Texas $51,150
Utah $55,500
Virginia $47,720
Washington $47,460
West Virginia $44,140
Wisconsin $53,400

What Tools do Set and Exhibit Designers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Set and Exhibit Designers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • JavaScript
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Git
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Python
  • Microsoft Access
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
  • Structured query language SQL
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • UNIX
  • Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
  • Oracle software
  • Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
  • Graphics software

How do I Become a Set & Exhibit Designer?

Are there Set and Exhibit Designers education requirements?

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What work experience do I need to become a Set & Exhibit Designer?

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Who Employs Set and Exhibit Designers?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Set and Exhibit Designers employed by various industries.

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Those interested in being a Set and Exhibit Designer may also be interested in:

References:

Image Credit: Szilas in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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