Commercial and Industrial Designers
Median $83,910
Occupation · SOC 27-1027
Set and Exhibit Designers: pay and where the jobs are
What set and exhibit designers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$75,240 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $83,160
- Median hourly wage
- $36.17
- Mean hourly wage
- $39.98
- Employment
- 10,630
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-1027.
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See where your pay falls among set and exhibit designers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do set and exhibit designers make?
The median annual wage for set and exhibit designers was $75,240 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41,750 and the highest-paid 10% more than $135,410. As an hourly rate, the median is $36.17. About 10,630 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in California ($105,030), Maryland ($80,540) and Washington ($77,230). California also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for set and exhibit designers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,750 | $20.07 | $3,479 | $2,977 |
| 25th percentile | $52,830 | $25.40 | $4,403 | $3,719 |
| Median | $75,240 | $36.17 | $6,270 | $5,147 |
| 75th percentile | $104,030 | $50.01 | $8,669 | $6,835 |
| 90th percentile | $135,410 | $65.10 | $11,284 | $8,652 |
Set and Exhibit Designers: pay by state
27 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$68,488 take-home in national prices
2
$64,802 take-home in national prices
3
$61,634 take-home in national prices
Where a median set and exhibit designer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,690 | $105,030 | $47,400 | $162,820 | $75,830 | $68,488 |
| Maryland | 420 | $80,540 | $47,110 | $114,340 | $62,030 | $59,099 |
| Washington | 170 | $77,230 | $53,880 | $164,070 | $62,090 | $58,021 |
| District of Columbia | 190 | $76,900 | $47,600 | $118,290 | $59,361 | $54,013 |
| New Jersey | 220 | $76,380 | $47,400 | $112,570 | $59,377 | $54,572 |
| Massachusetts | 230 | $74,540 | $51,870 | $123,640 | $57,419 | $54,293 |
| Nebraska | 50 | $73,980 | $48,180 | $93,140 | $58,388 | $64,802 |
| Indiana | 110 | $72,200 | $44,540 | $93,700 | $57,522 | $61,634 |
| Georgia | 310 | $67,210 | $29,330 | $122,060 | $53,507 | $55,567 |
| Minnesota | 150 | $66,090 | $49,290 | $84,670 | $52,022 | $52,749 |
| Oregon | 280 | $62,770 | $47,140 | $92,220 | $48,052 | $46,489 |
| Florida | 740 | $60,750 | $45,670 | $101,030 | $50,993 | $49,309 |
| Connecticut | 70 | $60,680 | $49,120 | $105,530 | $48,046 | $46,372 |
| Pennsylvania | 120 | $59,670 | $46,430 | $114,970 | $48,251 | $49,452 |
| Virginia | 120 | $58,650 | $41,600 | $104,010 | $46,747 | $46,237 |
| Texas | 210 | $56,930 | $36,480 | $111,450 | $47,923 | $49,376 |
| Ohio | 290 | $54,560 | $23,760 | $92,020 | $44,962 | $48,464 |
| Kentucky | 40 | $53,260 | $31,070 | $87,610 | $43,228 | $47,946 |
| Missouri | 290 | $51,610 | $33,530 | $74,850 | $42,160 | $46,423 |
| Michigan | 140 | $50,910 | $31,200 | $73,710 | $41,173 | $42,792 |
| Nevada | 180 | $50,860 | $34,930 | $101,950 | $43,046 | $43,055 |
| Iowa | 60 | $50,640 | $46,840 | $70,000 | $41,597 | $47,397 |
| North Carolina | Not published | $49,410 | $22,160 | $87,510 | $40,418 | $42,849 |
| Arizona | 70 | $46,280 | $38,660 | $109,380 | $38,603 | $38,343 |
| Utah | 340 | $44,540 | $21,100 | $96,150 | $36,610 | $37,030 |
| Arkansas | 50 | $38,700 | $35,200 | $72,350 | $32,331 | $37,189 |
| Puerto Rico | Not published | $34,260 | $29,100 | $44,590 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-1027. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.